Additions to pension savings

Carpetman

I retired in April this year and before I did I added money to my pension pot. My private pension scheme claimed the tax back from HMRC and added it to the pot.
At the same time, my wife who isn't retired added to her local education pension pot but they say she has to claim the tax back herself as they don't do it. How does she do this, please?

Dazed_and_confused

You have made completely different types of pension contributions.

Yours sound like "relief at source".

Your wife's sound much more unusual where no tax relief whatsoever is given at the point she contributed.

How much did she contribute?

Which tax year did she make the contribution in?

How much does she expect to earn (P60 pay value) in that tax year?

Where is she resident for tax purposes?

Carpetman

My wife's pension standard monthly contributions are 'relief at source', but they are saying that her extra £11,000 payment needs the tax to be claimed from HMRC.

The extra was paid in April of this year so 2019/20 tax year.

She works part-time so estimated earnings before tax £14,000.

She is UK born/bred and resident.

Dazed_and_confused

I'm not sure you/your wife understood the tax impacts of her lump sum pension contribution.

The extra was paid in April of this year so 2019/20 tax year.

Or it could have been 2018:19. When exactly in April?

If it was after 5 April and she doesn't have any other taxable income (ignoring small amounts of savings interest) then the tax refund will be about £300 (probably a touch less).

But after the end of the current tax year she may also consider applying for Marriage Allowance for 2019:20 (just for that one year). Because of the pension contribution this won't make her liable to any additional tax for 2019:20 but could save you £250 in tax for that tax year. Assuming you will have paid £250 in tax and aren't a higher rate taxpayer.

If her local government pension is actually a net pay scheme then it might be that the refund she gets will only be maybe £150 or so.

Do you know the difference between net pay and relief at source?