Tax relief on Pension contributions

Ximian

I have been paying into a personal pension for the past 10 years and only recently learned about higher rate tax relief on pension contributions. I have checked with my pension provider that tax contributions were made into my pension fund at 20% only.
I have also checked with the pension tax relief calculator on the H&L website: http://www.hl.co.uk/pensions/sipp/tax-relief-calculator to calculate tax relief and according to the website, I am a higher rate tax payer.

I have also recently opted for salary sacrifice and was given a template letter addressed to HMRC that mentions I will be moving to SS in April and I have been contributing to a personal pension since <date> and my contributions have been <amount with attached statement>.
I used to submit self assessment online a few years ago and was told via a letter from HMRC that I longer need to fill out self assessments,

My questions are:

Is the salary sacrifice letter to HMRC to cover just the fact that I'm switching to SS and I'm due some rebate, or will the letter also cover any higher tax rebates I am due because I haven't been claiming any higher rate tax relief?

Should I send a separate letter to HMRC for higher rate tax relief for past pension contributions?

How far back can I claim any tax relief on pension contributions?

Lastly, can I ask for any interest on money owed to me from HMRC?:rotfl:

TIA

Neverland

You can certainly correct tax returns where genuine mistakes have been made by writing to the revenue

I think the limit for restating tax returns is five/six years old, but since I've never done it, it could be longer

I would suggest a call to the Inland Revenue helpline would a lot more useful than posting on this board

Edit: your salary sacrifice is going to complicate things as it may be treated as a direct gross employer contribution, not even supposed to show up on your return

Backbiter

You can claim for tax relief back to 2006-7. I know this because I am also claiming and had a letter this week telling me this!

slipper75

Backbiter wrote: »

You can claim for tax relief back to 2006-7. I know this because I am also claiming and had a letter this week telling me this!

I've just found out that I'm in the same boat. Backbiter, could you please list the steps you've taken to claim that tax relief?

THanks so much!