Self Assessment but claiming tax relief over 3 years Pension contribution

PennyForThem_2

I fill in a self assessment form which is a really simple one. I have a property I let.


I am contributing to a private pension which is in addition to an NHS pension. I am 40% tax payer and this tax year my contribution to my private pension will be in excess of this year's allowance and so I will take advantage of the fact I have not maximised my last 3 years' allowance.


How do I tell this on the tax form - or do I just put in the amount paid into pension and assume HMRC will 'know' I m taking advantage of last 3 years unmax'ed out?

jamesd

Just fill in the pension contribution if you have sufficient carry-forward.

If you do not have sufficient carry-forward, see page 5 (in 2013-14 version) of Helpsheet 345 Pension savings – tax charges on any excess over the Lifetime Allowance and the Annual Allowance, and on unauthorised payments which specifies in part that "You can carry forward any Annual Allowance that you have not used from the previous three tax years to 2013–14. The amount of the unused Annual Allowance is added to this year’s Annual Allowance. This gives you a higher amount of available Annual Allowance.". Then you know how to fill in the SA101 question "Amount saved towards your pension, in the period covered by this tax return, in excess of the Annual Allowance". It's the amount above the single year allowance and all available carry-forward.

Since you won't have anything in excess of this you have nothing to fill out for that answer other than zero.