Evidence Needed For Every Pension Tax Relief Claim From September 2025

CREATED BY ROGER EDDOWES Published: 11/09/2025 @ 09:00AM #pensiontaxreliefclaim #UKtax #pensions #PAYE #HMRC #taxrelief

As of 1st of September 2025, every Pension Tax Relief claim now needs evidence and can't be made by phone. Claims must be made online or by post, with self-assessment via the return. Here's what to provide and who can claim, in plain English ...

Pension tax relief claim, Evidence now needed, Retirement awaits

Everyone likes clarity, and the latest update makes it plain that a Pension Tax Relief claim now needs documentary support and a specific claiming route.HMRC will only accept claims made online or by post, not by telephone.

Anyone hoping to resolve issues quickly will need
to change tack and follow the new process!

The rules remain familiar on who can claim: those paying Income Tax above the basic rate, such as higher rate taxpayers in the rest of the UK and intermediate rate taxpayers in Scotland, can ask HMRC to top up relief not given at source.

Basic rate taxpayers can also claim in certain situations, such as where a workplace scheme hasn't given relief through payroll or when a lump sum goes into a personal or workplace plan that operates on a relief‑at‑source basis rather than a net pay arrangement.

Self-Assessment filers must continue to claim in their tax return, while those outside Self-Assessment will see any successful claim adjust their PAYE tax code so the relief feeds through their pay packets.

The big change is evidence for every year being claimed, and HMRC guidance now expects a letter or statement from the pension provider or a payslip from the employer that shows the claimant's full name, the amounts contributed, the tax year covered, and, for workplace schemes, confirmation that 20% relief was given automatically by the employer.

In practice, that means gathering payroll evidence or provider statements before starting the form, because missing data will stall the claim and slow any tax code change.It is also wise to check pension scheme rules to confirm whether the plan runs relief at source or net pay, since that determines whether extra relief is due and prevents duplicate requests.

The removal of phone claims should help
standardise tax compliance!

However, this also puts the onus on individuals to retain clean records and on UK employers to ensure payslips and communications clearly display the information HMRC needs.Those planning multiple years should also assemble one piece of evidence per tax year, because HMRC will not accept a single catch‑all document that doesn't specify each period precisely.

A little preparation goes a long way, and anyone starting a Pension Tax Relief claim now can save time by lining up the correct documents, checking the scheme type, and using the online route.

This will give you the quickest turnaround.

Until next time ...

ROGER EDDOWES
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About Roger Eddowes ...
Roger trained at Edward Thomas Peirson & Sons in Market Harborough before working at Hartwell & Co, followed by Chancery, as a partner. He started Essendon Accounts and Tax with Helen Beaumont in 2014 as a general practitioner with a hands-on approach. Roger loves getting his hands dirty, working with emerging, small-to-medium and family businesses to ensure they receive the best possible accountancy advice. Roger utilises an extensive network of business contacts to leverage the best guidance and practical solutions.

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