Pension Tax Relief Calculator

Calculate how much tax relief you could get on your pension contributions with our handy tool.

Use the calculator below and we'll break down how much tax relief could be added to your pension pot, and tell you whether or not you may need to file a Self-Assessment tax return to claim a portion of it.

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*Please note, the calculations are relevant to tax rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 2026/27 tax year, assume that there is no carry forward available and that £60,000 is the maximum contribution allowed.

Your results:

These are estimates based on our current interpretation of HMRC's rules and based on general situations. Specific rules may apply to your individual circumstances and figures rendered by this calculator should be used as guidance.

You pay:

£352.80

Basic rate tax relief top up:

£352.80

Gross pension contribution:

£352.80

You pay:

By filling in a Self-Assessment tax return you could receive £88.20 in cash back from HMRC.

£352.80

Basic rate tax relief

To make a gross pension contribution of £441 you only need to pay £352.80. The Government will add a 25% tax top up of £88.20.

Additional rate tax relief

As a 40% higher rate taxpayer you can claim back up to an extra £88.20. Your pension contribution could effectively cost you as little as £264.60.

Gross pension contribution

£441

Basic rate tax relief

You pay:

£352.80

Tax top up:

£88.20

Additional rate tax relief

You pay:

£352.80

Tax top up:

£88.20

Cashback

£88.20

As always with investments, your capital is at risk. The value of your investment can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you invest. This information shouldn't be regarded as financial or tax advice and we can't be held responsible for any errors. Please speak to a financial adviser or accountant as needed.

What is pension tax relief?

When you save into a pension, the government usually tops up your personal contributions as a reward for saving towards your retirement. It does this in the form of pension tax relief. The amount you get is equivalent to the rate of income tax you pay:

Basic rate taxpayers get a 25% tax top up.
Higher rate taxpayers can claim a further 25% tax top up.
Additional rate taxpayers can claim a further 31% tax top up.

It's worth noting that basic rate pension tax relief is automatically added on eligible contributions with PensionBee, however higher and additional rate taxpayers will need to claim further relief via Self-Assessment. Fortunately, this is easy to do - read more in our ultimate guide to pensions and tax.

For example, a basic rate taxpayer who contributes £1,000 into their pension pot, will usually receive £250 as a tax top up from the government, boosting their total personal pension contribution to £1,250.

A higher-rate tax payer who contributes £1,000 into their pension pot, will still usually receive £250 as a tax top up from the government, but they’ll also be able to claim an additional £250 through their next Self-Assessment tax return. You can call or write to HMRC to claim it if you don’t fill in a Self-Assessment tax return. This example is relevant to tax rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For Scotland there are different applicable rates which you can read more about on the HMRC website.

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Are there any restrictions?

You must be a UK taxpayer and under the age of 75.
You can't benefit from pension tax relief on contributions from your employer to your workplace pension.
The limit on tax relievable pension contributions for 2026/27 is £60,000 or 100% of your salary (whichever is lower).
Any pension contributions that exceed the allowance are subject to an annual allowance charge in line with income tax.
Under the right circumstances you may have the option to carry forward any unused allowances from the previous three years, on top of your current year’s annual allowance.

Find out more about pension tax relief.