Tax return income - with or without private pension contribution

kokolino23

Hello,

I have to fill in my tax return for 2024-2025, I was an employee during this period but I paid towards a private pension fund. Do I have to declare the gross pay income but should I deduct the private pension contribution during this financial year or not?

Because we receive child benefit, HMRC will tax this if my income is over £50270. It's above this threshold if I include the pension contribution but if I deduct it would be less.

Thank you

Dazed_and_C0nfused

kokolino23 said:

Hello,

I have to fill in my tax return for 2024-2025, I was an employee during this period but I paid towards a private pension fund. Do I have to declare the gross pay income but should I deduct the private pension contribution during this financial year or not?

Because we receive child benefit, HMRC will tax this if my income is over £50270. It's above this threshold if I include the pension contribution but if I deduct it would be less.

Thank you

You don't ever "deduct" pension contributions.

You enter them in the relevant parts of the return so, if necessary, they are taken into account in the tax calculation.

And you enter your taxable earnings, which could be different to "gross pay income", whatever that actually is.

Nor do you pay tax on Child Benefit.  But if your adjusted net income is at least £60,200* then you could be liable to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge.  
* you seem to be confusing the higher rate threshold with the High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold.

DT2001

You are filling in form SA100?
on page TR4 you fill in the gross amount of your contributions to your private pension. This will then adjust your income tax base rate tax limit and the calculation for child benefit.
If you are doing online it might pre populate the boxes for employment however if not you should use the figures from your P60.
Just read the instructions and/or guides and it will be fine 

zagfles

kokolino23 said:

Hello,

I have to fill in my tax return for 2024-2025, I was an employee during this period but I paid towards a private pension fund. Do I have to declare the gross pay income but should I deduct the private pension contribution during this financial year or not?

Because we receive child benefit, HMRC will tax this if my income is over £50270. It's above this threshold if I include the pension contribution but if I deduct it would be less.

Thank you

You declare your gross pay and separately you declare your private pension contributions in the relevant section. Child ben calc uses "adjusted net income" not gross income, your pension conts will be deducted for this. And anyway the threshold is now £60k