Many higher rate tax payers saving for retirement are unaware that the additional tax relief for being a 40% tax payer is only given when requested from HMRC. If you are or were a higher rate tax payer and didn’t include your pension contributions on a tax return (or you may not have completed a tax return) then you need to review your situation.
Higher rate pension tax relief (and claims in respect of any other tax overpayments) for 2008/09 must be claimed by 5 April 2013 or it will be lost.
Those affected need to write to HMRC with full details, who will send the repayment in the post or by bank transfer.
The time limits for claiming tax refunds are shown in the table below. If claims aren’t made within the time limit any refund due will be missed.
| Tax year | Tax year ended on | Claim must be made by: |
| 2008-09 | 5 April 2009 | 5 April 2013 |
| 2009-10 | 5 April 2010 | 5 April 2014 |
| 2010-11 | 5 April 2011 | 5 April 2015 |
| 2011-12 | 5 April 2012 | 5 April 2016 |
As always we’re happy to answer questions and help with any issues. If you’re unsure whether you’ve been given the correct tax relief then simply get in touch.