Restrictions on Pension Contributions

 

 

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Pension contributions can reduce your tax liability, but restrictions on contributions exist, especially for high-income earners.

Receiving tax relief on pension contributions

The government rewards people for contributing to their pension – and their future finances – by granting tax relief on pension contributions. Some tax you would normally owe HMRC will be redirected to your pension.

You’ll receive 20%, 40% or 45% tax relief depending on your taxpayer status. For example, adding £100 to your pension will only cost a basic rate taxpayer (20%) £80 and the government will top up the remaining £20 (the rules are different in Scotland).

The amount contributed to your pension can benefit from tax relief, providing it doesn’t exceed an annual allowance. If you stay within the annual allowance within a tax year, you can receive tax relief on £60,000 or 100% of your income, whichever is lower.

What is the annual allowance?

The pension annual allowance is an amount of money you can contribute to your defined contributions pension – and the amount of benefits you can build within the scheme for tax relief. The current annual allowance is set at £60,000* or 100% of your income whichever is lower and includes both you and your employer’s contributions across all of your pensions except your State Pension.

There is a reduced annual allowance for high-income earners. We explain this further below.

What happens if I exceed the allowance?

If you exceed the £60,000* annual allowance, you will be subject to a tax charge called an annual allowance charge. There are strategies to mitigate this charge using unused portions of annual allowance from previous tax years.

The Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA)?

The Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA) is a reduced annual allowance for high-income individuals. These individuals’ allowance will be reduced by £1 for every £2 that their adjusted income exceeds £260,000, to a minimum tapered allowance of £10,000.

*Tax year 2026/2027

 
 

Warning Text

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TAXATION ADVICE IS NOT REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY.

TAX TREATMENT VARIES ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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Andrea - mid 50s

business owner

I came to see Josh not only helping me plan for my retirement but also in helping me look after a Trust fund for my Nieces. Josh is always quick to respond to queries and deals with all requests in a timely and efficient manner. I feel very comfortable in the fact that if I ask for something to be done or need some advice he ALWAYS delivers.
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Following our mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis and admission into a residential care home, my sister and I were looking for financial advice on the options available to fund her care. Our main concern before speaking with Josh was finding an adviser who would provide us with sound financial advice.
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My sister and I received excellent support from Warwick Road Financial Services and believe that, without Josh's assistance, we would have struggled to achieve a successful outcome.
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Darren

IT professional – requiring and receiving ongoing Pre-retirement advice

I approached Jethro several years ago because my wife and I really hadn’t paid any attention to our pension planning. Jethro helped us by identifying various plans from previous employers, and a personal plan that I’d left to stagnate from my contracting days.
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We would recommend Jethro to people who need a full-service pension professional to guide them clearly and safely through their options and manage the entire process for them.

Miss Parker

I instructed Claire Adams from Warwick Road Financial services to assist me with consolidating my various pensions into one with Quilter.
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58, Director

We originally approached Lawrence because we were looking for help with our insurance/mortgage and general finances, whilst in our early 20’s.
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