Claiming back higher rate tax relief on pension

andyste1

Hi all, I've been paying into a personal pension for 20-odd years, from which I get basic 20% tax relief. I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to pensions I'm afraid, and was only recently told about higher rate tax relief, and understand that I can claim back the additional relief that I should have been receiving during the last 4 years that I've been a higher-rate taxpayer?

Do I contact HMRC to do this, rather than the pensions company? What information are they likely to need? I'm assuming they'll want to know total pension contributions for each financial year. Anything else, e.g. total salary each year? (I'm asking here as I don't want to spend half an hour getting through to HMRC just to ask these questions, then have to call back again!).

AnotherJoe

You contact HMRC. Have you been filling in self assessment forms and omitted to put your personal pension payments down on them?

andyste1

AnotherJoe wrote: »

You contact HMRC. Have you been filling in self assessment forms and omitted to put your personal pension payments down on them?

Hi, I'm employed rather than self-employed so have never filled in a self-assessment. I contribute to a company pension scheme, while the personal pension in question is one that I was cajoled into opening during the mis-selling heyday of the early 90s. It's only a very small amount - it started at £25/mth but is index-linked so I'm now paying around £55/mth. I've been wondering whether it's even worth continuing to pay into, but that's a question for another day!

MallyGirl

self assessment is not anything to do with being self employed.

xylophone

You can still be required ( or choose) to submit a tax return whatever your employment status.

https://blog.standardlife.co.uk/claim-pension-tax-relief-entitlement/

http://moneytothemasses.com/saving-for-your-future/pensions/reader-q-can-i-claim-tax-relief-on-pension-contributions-from-previous-tax-years is old but may be relevant.

andyste1

Thank you @xylophone! It's a pity this sort of information is a little hidden away for a layperson like me, and was never made clear as to what needs to be done.

Unfortunately the second link just advises writing to HMRC with the "relevant information" in order to claim back previous years' relief, so still a bit stuck as to what information they need! I think I'll just take a chance on ringing them...

xylophone

You might find it helpful to print off these forms for the relevant years and complete them?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-tax-return-sa100

sandsy

I'd just ring them. I got back some tax relief for a current year just by ringing them. On a Saturday afternoon, no less - answered immediately and got the money within days.

msallen

I would just ring them. I had cause to a couple of years ago, and following advice on here, I rang about 5 minutes before the advertised opening hours. It was answered straight away.

zagfles

Did you earn any interest prior to 2016/17? As well as getting higher rate relief on pension conts, you have to pay higher rate tax on stuff like savings interest. From 2016/17 on there's a £500 allowance for savings interest for higher rate tax payers but before then you had to pay higher rate tax on any interest even if it was only a few £. So you may need to "fess up" to that at the same time - they'll probably ask for income details inc interest etc.

El_Debster

I just rang them. They take the details and then send it to you. I received it for a few years when I was working and paying into a personal pension from a previous job that I kept up. Before redundancy I tipped into the upper tax rate and got the tax relief for a couple of years. They will back date for you. You can't apply for current year. I told them about the plan and how much I was putting in (100.00 pcm) Not a fortune back but welcome...