This pension tax relief calculator shows how much tax relief you get on personal pension and SIPP contributions. It works out the 20% your provider adds, the extra relief higher and additional rate taxpayers can claim, and how much of your annual allowance is left, including carry forward.
Your pension tax relief
- Total going into your pension
- –
- Added by your provider
- –
- Extra relief to claim
- –
- Real cost to you
- –
- Allowance left
- –
In the example, a higher rate taxpayer on £70,000 pays £8,000 into a SIPP. The provider adds £2,000.00 so £10,000.00 goes in, and they can claim another £2,000.00 through their tax return. The real cost is £6,000.00.
How to use the pension tax relief calculator
- Enter what you pay in from your bank account to a personal pension or SIPP.
- Enter your taxable income for the year.
- Add employer contributions, which count towards the annual allowance.
- Add unused allowance from the previous three tax years if you want to carry it forward.
How pension tax relief works
With relief at source, you pay 80% and your provider claims the other 20% from HMRC. Higher rate taxpayers claim another 20% and additional rate taxpayers another 25%, through Self Assessment or by contacting HMRC. With a net pay arrangement at work, contributions come off before tax, so you get all your relief straight away. See GOV.UK: pension tax relief.
SIPP tax relief calculator examples
| Income | Added by provider | Extra relief to claim | Real cost of £10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £2,000 | £0 | £8,000 |
| £60,000 | £2,000 | £1,946 | £6,054 |
| £80,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £6,000 |
| £110,000 | £2,000 | £4,000 | £4,000 |
| £150,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £5,500 |
Between £100,000 and £125,140 the relief is effectively 60%, because pension contributions restore the Personal Allowance you would otherwise lose.
The pension tax relief calculator assumes relief at source, which is how SIPPs and most personal pensions work. If your workplace scheme uses a net pay arrangement, you already get full relief through payroll and have nothing extra to claim.
Pension annual allowance calculator
You can get tax relief on total contributions of up to £60,000 a year, including employer contributions, and on no more than 100% of your earnings. The allowance is tapered down to £10,000 if your adjusted income is over £260,000, and it falls to £10,000 once you have taken taxable money flexibly from a pension. See GOV.UK: annual allowance.
Pension carry forward calculator
If you have used less than your annual allowance in any of the previous three tax years, you can carry the unused amount forward, as long as you were a member of a registered pension scheme in those years. You must use this year’s allowance first. Enter the unused total in the calculator to see your full allowance this year. Carry forward does not increase the 100%-of-earnings limit for personal contributions.
Related calculators
Paying in through work? Compare salary sacrifice with the salary sacrifice calculator. Avoid the Child Benefit charge with the child benefit tax calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax relief do I get on pension contributions?
At least 20%. Higher rate taxpayers get 40% and additional rate taxpayers 45% in total, with part claimed through Self Assessment.
Do non-taxpayers get pension tax relief?
Yes, on personal contributions of up to £2,880 a year, which the provider tops up to £3,600.
How do I claim higher rate pension tax relief?
Enter your gross personal contributions on your Self Assessment tax return, or ask HMRC to adjust your tax code if you do not file a return.
Does pension tax relief work differently in Scotland?
Providers add 20%. Intermediate rate taxpayers can claim 1% more, and higher, advanced and top rate taxpayers claim more again.
About this calculator
This pension tax relief calculator uses 2026/27 tax rates and the £60,000 annual allowance, checked against GOV.UK on 9 November 2026. It does not work out the tapered annual allowance. Results are estimates.