Pension carry forward
How to increase your pension allowance
Important information: SIPPs are a type of pension for people happy to make their own investment decisions. Investments can rise and fall in value so you could get back less than you pay in. You’ll usually need to be at least 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) before you can access the money in your pension. Pension and tax rules can change and any benefits will depend on your circumstances. If you’re not sure what’s best for your situation, you should seek financial advice.
What is pension carry forward?
Generally the most you can pay into your pension each tax year is as much as you earn, up to £40,000.
If you want to make the most of your pension savings and tax allowances, carry forward lets you take advantage of any unused pension allowance from the previous three tax years.
Including the current tax year, that could mean you’re able to make a pension contribution of up to £160,000 including tax relief.
Remember
If you want to claim back the full amount of tax relief, you have to pay enough tax at the relevant rate. Our tax relief calculator can show you how much you could get. Please remember tax rules can change and any benefits will depend on your circumstances. Scottish income tax rates are different and different benefits apply.
The benefits for high earners
As a high earner, you may be affected by the tapered annual allowance.
The taper could reduce your annual allowance to as little as £4,000 if you have an ‘adjusted income’ of over £240,000. Adjusted income is your total income, plus the pension contributions your employer pays in for you.
Making the most of any unused pension allowance, using carry forward, means you could pay more in and get extra tax relief.
Who can use pension carry forward?
There are two main requirements:
- You had a pension in each year you wish to carry forward from, whether or not you made a contribution (the State Pension doesn’t count).
- You have earnings of at least the total amount you are contributing this tax year. Alternatively, your employer could contribute to your pension.
There are other factors to consider if you or your employer have contributed to other pensions in addition to your SIPP or you have been a member of a final salary scheme. Learn more in our Annual Allowance & Carry Forward Factsheet.
How much could you contribute?
It can be confusing, so here’s an example to show you how it works. You can also use our carry forward calculator to get an idea of how much you might be able to pay in.
| Tax year | Annual allowance | Contributions made | Unused allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | £40,000* | £15,000 | £25,000 |
| 2018/19 | £40,000* | £5,000 | £35,000 |
| 2019/20 | £40,000* | £40,000 | £0 |
| 2020/21** (current) | £40,000* | £40,000 | £0 |
| Remaining allowance in 2020/21 using carry forward: | £60,000 | ||
*The tapered annual allowance could have applied for the 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 tax years meaning as little as £10,000 is available to carry forward for those with adjusted income of over £150,000 in any of those years.
** The tapered annual allowance could apply this tax year meaning your annual allowance is as little as £4,000 for those with adjusted income of over £240,000 this tax year.
Remember, you need to be at least 55 (57 from 2028) before you can access money in your pension. Up to 25% can usually be taken tax free and the rest will be taxed as income.
Switch your pension on - act by 5 April
Carry forward is a great way to make up for any missed contributions. Monday 5 April 2021 is your last chance to carry forward your unused allowance from the 2017/18 tax year. If you don’t use it now, it will be gone forever.
How to make a pension contribution by 5 April
To make the most of any matching employer contributions, you could consider making a payment into your workplace pension (if you have one).
If you don’t have a workplace pension, or if you can’t get any more matching contributions from your employer, you could consider opening your own private pension such as the HL Self-Invested Personal Pension.
You’ll need to be comfortable making your own investment decisions, but you don’t need to make any investment decisions straight away. You can add money before the tax year deadline, get tax relief, and choose investments in your own time.