Fill in the figures, then click Check my allowance.
Result
The numbers
| Item | Amount |
|---|
Carry forward, oldest year first
| Tax year | Unused allowance | Used against your excess |
|---|
Tapered allowance by adjusted income
| Adjusted income | Annual allowance |
|---|
What to check
| Step | What it means |
|---|
What it does, and what it leaves to you
- Covers: the £60,000 standard allowance, the taper (threshold income £200,000, adjusted income £260,000, floor £10,000), the £10,000 money purchase allowance, carry forward from three years, and the income tax charge on any excess.
- Gives: your allowance, the room left before a charge (including the smaller safe amount if the money comes from your employer), and the estimated charge.
- Not decided: Scottish rates, lump-sum and death benefit inputs, the alternative annual allowance, Scheme Pays elections, relief limited to your earnings, and whether a pension suits you. Defined benefit input amounts should come from your pension savings statement. For the allowance taper on income tax see the £100k tax trap calculator.
Common questions
What is the pension annual allowance?
The most you can add to your pensions in a tax year, counting your own payments, your employer's, and the growth in any final salary (defined benefit) pension, before a tax charge applies. The standard figure is £60,000. Unused allowance from the last three years can be carried forward.
What is the tapered annual allowance?
If your threshold income is over £200,000 and your adjusted income is over £260,000, your allowance falls by £1 for every £2 above £260,000, down to a minimum of £10,000 at £360,000. Both tests must be failed for the taper to apply.
How does carry forward work?
Your current year's allowance is used first, then unused allowance from the three previous tax years, oldest first. You only get a year's unused allowance if you were a member of a UK registered pension scheme in that year, even if nothing was paid in.
How is an annual allowance charge taxed?
The excess is added to your other income and taxed at the rates that apply on top, so for a high earner usually 45% (or 40% in the higher-rate band). If it is over £2,000 you may be able to ask your scheme to pay it from your benefits.
Why does employer money shrink my allowance?
Adjusted income includes employer contributions and salary you sacrificed. Adding more therefore raises adjusted income and cuts the allowance by £1 for every £2 in the taper band, so the amount that fits is less than the headline headroom. This tool solves for it.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent.