Self assessment pension contributions - what figure to use?

tiptop77

I feel like this should be an easy one, but I'm struggling to find out by googling.

When filling out my self assessment tax form, do I include the value of pension contributions that I've actually paid net of tax relief being added?  Or do I include what I've paid + the tax relief?  I'm a basic rate taxpayer so I can't claim any additional tax relief, but I presume that it makes a difference for my child tax credits calculations in terms of my declared net income.

Edited to add if it makes a difference: these are pension contributions made by myself directly into a stakeholder pension from post-taxed income, so not shown on the P60.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Child tax credits have no relevance to Self Assessment.

If it is a "relief at source" contribution then you enter the gross amount i.e. your payment plus the basic rate tax relief.

The tax return itself states,

Payments to registered pension schemes where basic rate tax relief will be claimed by your pension provider  (called ‘relief at source’). Enter the payments and basic rate tax.

squirrelpie

I believe the answer is you put the gross amount. I did a search to check and see what you mean about the answer not leaping out. I did find one interesting site where you could probably get accurate answers to tax-related questions:

https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/forums/customerforums/

tiptop77

I'm new to child tax credits so still working it out, but I was under the impression that when you declare your income on your child tax form you state your total income minus pension contributions?  This is taken from the HMRC form TC825 ('Working sheet for tax credits relief for Gift Aid donations, pension contributions and trading losses').  I assumed therefore that it has to match up with your self assessment in terms of declared net income.  If that's not the case, do I ignore pension contributions when stating income on the child tax credits form?