Retrospective claim for tax relief on gross pension contributions

Tafkars

SVaz said:

Ah yes, as a 40% payer, you do need to put the gross in order to get the extra 20%. 

Thanks, that's helpful and I'll be sure to do that in future returns.

Tafkars

SacredStephan said:

This may help:
(link from poster that I am unable to show as a newbie...)

Thanks. Somewhat confusingly, however, the guidance offers this:

"If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return (for the current tax year and any previous years). Use this service if you are claiming a tax relief through your tax code for just the current tax year."

Which seems to go against the advice from af1963 above. So, I think I am in the space of either correcting the tax return for 23-24 using the process described by af1963, or leaving it until the return for 24-25 and summing all of the previous underestimates as described in my original post. My preference is the latter; however, grateful if anyone wishes to correct my ignorance and suggest something else!

TheSpectator

Tafkars said:

SacredStephan said:

This may help:
(link from poster that I am unable to show as a newbie...)

Thanks. Somewhat confusingly, however, the guidance offers this:

"If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return (for the current tax year and any previous years). Use this service if you are claiming a tax relief through your tax code for just the current tax year."

Which seems to go against the advice from af1963 above. So, I think I am in the space of either correcting the tax return for 23-24 using the process described by af1963, or leaving it until the return for 24-25 and summing all of the previous underestimates as described in my original post. My preference is the latter; however, grateful if anyone wishes to correct my ignorance and suggest something else!

Do not put your entire claim in the 24/25 Tax Return.

For one, another tax year will have went out of date and for two, it's the wrong way to go about it.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Tafkars said:

SacredStephan said:

This may help:
(link from poster that I am unable to show as a newbie...)

Thanks. Somewhat confusingly, however, the guidance offers this:

"If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return (for the current tax year and any previous years). Use this service if you are claiming a tax relief through your tax code for just the current tax year."

Which seems to go against the advice from af1963 above. So, I think I am in the space of either correcting the tax return for 23-24 using the process described by af1963, or leaving it until the return for 24-25 and summing all of the previous underestimates as described in my original post. My preference is the latter; however, grateful if anyone wishes to correct my ignorance and suggest something else!

You are getting slightly confused.

If you have filed Self Assessment returns for the previous 4 complete tax years (2020-21 to 2023-24) then you need to do two different things.

1.  Amend your 2023-24 return to correct the mistake in that return.

2.  Follow the guidance here to make Overpayment relief claims for the previous 3 years.  It is extremely important to follow, to the letter, the instructions in the section titled 
If you’ve missed the deadline to change your return.  If you don't do that HMRC will not accept your claim.

https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/corrections

Do not try and claim relief for one (or more) tax years in the tax return of a different tax year.  You will live to regret that if you do try it on like that!

Tafkars

Thanks to TheSpectator and Dazed_and_Confused, much appreciate your unequivocal advice.

Dazed - you're correct in stating that I am confused, which is not surprising given the clear instruction from the HMRC that I claim through SA "for the current tax year and any previous years"! No matter, I will follow your advice.

Thanks again to all who have posted help and advice. This forum has been great - I posted a similar comment on the HMRC forum where subsequent or follow-up comments were continuously deleted as being specific to my personal circumstances. Er, yeah...!