Unclaimed pension tax relief

pilotamx

Hi there,
I am taking a closed look to my pensiona and I've found something worrying me. There's a note in the pension provider my employer is using that says:

Any Employee Contributions below include basic rate tax relief (rate dependent on residency). We claim basic rate tax back from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). If you pay tax at a higher rate than basic, you should claim any additional tax relief from HMRC, via your tax return. Tax rules may change in the future. The annual allowance is the limit of the total amount of contributions that can be paid into your defined contribution pension schemes this includes the growth in any defined benefit pension scheme you may have each year for tax relief purposes.

this is where I am getting confused. I have been a high-rate tax-payer in the year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (possibly during 2017-2018, I need to check my Psomething document). Can I still reclaim something back? How should I do it?
thanks a lot!
KM

xylophone

https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/pension-tax-relief
Contact HMRC as above.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pilotamx said:

Hi there,
I am taking a closed look to my pensiona and I've found something worrying me. There's a note in the pension provider my employer is using that says:

Any Employee Contributions below include basic rate tax relief (rate dependent on residency). We claim basic rate tax back from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). If you pay tax at a higher rate than basic, you should claim any additional tax relief from HMRC, via your tax return. Tax rules may change in the future. The annual allowance is the limit of the total amount of contributions that can be paid into your defined contribution pension schemes this includes the growth in any defined benefit pension scheme you may have each year for tax relief purposes.

this is where I am getting confused. I have been a high-rate tax-payer in the year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (possibly during 2017-2018, I need to check my Psomething document). Can I still reclaim something back? How should I do it?
thanks a lot!
KM

Did you complete a Self Assessment return for either 2017:18 or 2018:19?

pilotamx

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

pilotamx said:

Did you complete a Self Assessment return for either 2017:18 or 2018:19?

No never, and I did not work in the UK before May 2017. I've redownloaded my P60 from my employer. I need to recollect some statement from Prudential. I can see anyway on the website the total amount paid in per fiscal year (probably there's no different from the part I paid as salary sacrifice and the part topped up by the employer). 
Now, if I understand correctly, I need to submit a SA100 for which I need a UTR. I have a dormant LTD, but never got a UTR as result of my position as director. 
@xylophone posted the HMRC website link which says if I do not need to submit a tax assessment (for other reasons), a call should be enough. Now, in 2018/2019 I had some interests from funds outside my ISA for a total of £837 - I think when I enquired my bank, this amount was below the £1000 allowance, so they should not be a problem.

pilotamx

But probably it is all useless. The pension is saying what I quoted. But my employer collect pension contributions as salary sacrifice before tax is calculated. If so, I cannot reclaim anything back. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pilotamx said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

pilotamx said:

Did you complete a Self Assessment return for either 2017:18 or 2018:19?

No never, and I did not work in the UK before May 2017. I've redownloaded my P60 from my employer. I need to recollect some statement from Prudential. I can see anyway on the website the total amount paid in per fiscal year (probably there's no different from the part I paid as salary sacrifice and the part topped up by the employer). 
Now, if I understand correctly, I need to submit a SA100 for which I need a UTR. I have a dormant LTD, but never got a UTR as result of my position as director. 
@xylophone posted the HMRC website link which says if I do not need to submit a tax assessment (for other reasons), a call should be enough. Now, in 2018/2019 I had some interests from funds outside my ISA for a total of £837 - I think when I enquired my bank, this amount was below the £1000 allowance, so they should not be a problem.

Unless it is a large amount (more than £10k has been mentioned on other threads) then you wouldn't need to complete a tax return just to claim tax relief on pension contributions.

And as a higher rate taxpayer the savings nil rate of tax band is £500 not £1,000.  Although any pension contributions could impact this.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pilotamx said:

But probably it is all useless. The pension is saying what I quoted. But my employer collect pension contributions as salary sacrifice before tax is calculated. If so, I cannot reclaim anything back. 

Correct.  In actual fact that means you aren't contributing to a pension.  You are agreeing to a lower salary in return for your employer contributing to a pension.

Although you are not entitled to any pension tax relief as this is an employer contribution you save both tax and NI by virtue of having less salary to pay tax on in the first place.

And you don't ever need to tell HMRC anything about it either.

Brynsam

pilotamx said:

Hi there,
I am taking a closed look to my pensiona and I've found something worrying me. There's a note in the pension provider my employer is using that says:

Any Employee Contributions below include basic rate tax relief (rate dependent on residency). We claim basic rate tax back from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). If you pay tax at a higher rate than basic, you should claim any additional tax relief from HMRC, via your tax return. Tax rules may change in the future. The annual allowance is the limit of the total amount of contributions that can be paid into your defined contribution pension schemes this includes the growth in any defined benefit pension scheme you may have each year for tax relief purposes.

this is where I am getting confused. I have been a high-rate tax-payer in the year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (possibly during 2017-2018, I need to check my Psomething document). Can I still reclaim something back? How should I do it?
thanks a lot!
KM

Were there any 'Employee Contributions' shown 'below'? If you only contribute by salary sacrifice, then it's a complete non-issue for the reasons already explained above (i.e. you didn't pay tax on any salary you sacrificed, so there is no tax to be claimed or reclaimed).

penners324

You've already had the tax relief if you're under salary sacrifice