Pension Annual Allowance Calculator
Check your UK pension annual allowance, including the taper for high earners and carry-forward.
About the Pension Annual Allowance Calculator
The annual allowance caps tax-relieved pension savings at £60,000 a year (or 100% of earnings, for your own contributions). For high earners it tapers: if threshold income is over £200,000 and adjusted income over £260,000, it falls £1 for every £2 above £260,000, to a minimum of £10,000. Unused allowance from the previous three tax years can be carried forward if you were in a registered scheme then. Once you flexibly access a pension, the Money Purchase Annual Allowance of £10,000 applies and carry-forward can't be used for it.
The formula
Tapered AA = max(£10,000, £60,000 − (adjusted income − £260,000) ÷ 2)
Worked example
Example: Annual allowance = £30,000
- Inputs: Threshold income: £230,000; Adjusted income: £320,000; Total pension contributions this year: £50,000; Unused allowance from the last 3 years: £0; Flexibly accessed a pension already: No.
- Formula: Tapered AA = max(£10,000, £60,000 − (adjusted income − £260,000) ÷ 2)
- Result: Annual allowance = £30,000
Questions people ask
What counts towards it?
Your contributions, your employer's, and tax relief added.
What's the Lump Sum Allowance?
Separately, tax-free cash is capped at £268,275 across all pensions.
Sources
The rules and rates this calculator uses come from the official pages below. Its results are estimates, not an official determination, and rules change, so check the latest figures there before you act on them.