Tax relief for buying NHS Additional Pension and paying lump sum

NedS

@hugheskevi Thank you for clarifying and setting me straight

pensionlumpsum

Hi, this is an old thread but hopefully someone can help: I paid a lump sum (£1380) into my NHS pension in January 25. I was advised by NHS pensions that as I am a 20% basic tax payer I would receive 20% tax relief which on this lump sum and I would have to apply to the HMRC for it. I was also advised that January would be a good time to make the payment.

After many painful phone calls to HMRC, and disagreement between the 5 different members of staff that i spoke to, I have been told that as i did not pay enough tax in 2024-25 I cannot claim back the full amount (I was working part-time). I worked more hours in 2023-24 and am working more hours 2025-26 so had I made the payment during these years i would have received the full 20% tax relief.

The initial disagreement between HMRC staff does not give me confidence in this decision. Does anyone know of any loopholes i.e. could this tax relief be spread across years?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pensionlumpsum said:

Hi, this is an old thread but hopefully someone can help: I paid a lump sum (£1380) into my NHS pension in January 25. I was advised by NHS pensions that as I am a 20% basic tax payer I would receive 20% tax relief which on this lump sum and I would have to apply to the HMRC for it. I was also advised that January would be a good time to make the payment.

After many painful phone calls to HMRC, and disagreement between the 5 different members of staff that i spoke to, I have been told that as i did not pay enough tax in 2024-25 I cannot claim back the full amount (I was working part-time). I worked more hours in 2023-24 and am working more hours 2025-26 so had I made the payment during these years i would have received the full 20% tax relief.

The initial disagreement between HMRC staff does not give me confidence in this decision. Does anyone know of any loopholes i.e. could this tax relief be spread across years?

No it can't be spread across years and I'm at a loss as to how the NHS pensions people could possibly know what tax relief, if any you would be entitled to given there is no automatic relief at all with that type of contribution 🤔.

And why it needs 5 different people in HMRC to answer such a basic question is beyond me!

How much tax did you pay in that tax year?  

pensionlumpsum

Thank you for your response. I paid £903

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pensionlumpsum said:

Thank you for your response. I paid £903

So what was the reason given for not being entitled to a refund of ~£276 of that?

Or do you mean you paid £903 but didn't really need to pay anything and that was all refunded for other reasons?

Marcon

pensionlumpsum said:

Hi, this is an old thread but hopefully someone can help: I paid a lump sum (£1380) into my NHS pension in January 25. I was advised by NHS pensions that as I am a 20% basic tax payer I would receive 20% tax relief which on this lump sum and I would have to apply to the HMRC for it. I was also advised that January would be a good time to make the payment.

If you have that in writing, and depending on exactly what you asked/what the reply was,  I'd be making a formal complaint on two grounds: 

1. what you were told was at best misleading and at worst simply inaccurate
2. the reference to January being 'a good time to make the payment' comes perilously close to crossing the line from information to advice - and may well actually fall into the 'advice' category.

pensionlumpsum

Yes, I will be making a complaint. Unfortunately it was a telephone conversation and I don’t have it in writing. I first wanted to be sure that I have no hope of getting the 20% tax refund back that I based the amount i could afford to pay into the pension scheme

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pensionlumpsum said:

Yes, I will be making a complaint. Unfortunately it was a telephone conversation and I don’t have it in writing. I first wanted to be sure that I have no hope of getting the 20% tax refund back that I based the amount i could afford to pay into the pension scheme

There is no automatic 20% relief for anyone with this type of contribution.

However you haven't really provided any information to suggest you aren't due a refund yet.

pensionlumpsum

Sorry, i missed a digit. I paid a lump sum of £13840. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

pensionlumpsum said:

Sorry, i missed a digit. I paid a lump sum of £13840. 

That explains a lot!

So have you received all of the £903 tax back?