HMRC reveals 79% rise in people breaching annual allowance limit

FOI request by Royal London

Julian Marr
clock • 2 min read

The number of people reporting they had breached the annual allowance limit for pension tax relief rose by almost four-fifths (79%) between 2012/13 and 2014/15 - the latest year for which such figures are available.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request tabled by Royal London to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) revealed that in 2014/15, when the annual allowance was £40,000, some 7,000 people reported on their tax return they had saved more than the limit. This compares with 3,900 people in 2012/13 when the limit stood at £50,000. Royal London policy director Steve Webb (pictured) said: "Pension tax relief has been squeezed year after year, and these new figures reveal a big growth in the numbers paying a tax penalty for being over the annual allowance limit." He added: "With a big cut in annual allowan...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Tax planning

IHT receipts continue on path to record year

IHT receipts continue on path to record year

£5.8bn for first eight months of 2025/26

Jen Frost
clock 19 December 2025 • 2 min read
To 2p or not 2p: Income tax rate changes explained

To 2p or not 2p: Income tax rate changes explained

'Income tax rate changes, but not the ones we were expecting'

Julia Peake
clock 18 December 2025 • 6 min read
Will the Budget be enough to halt the UK's high-net-worth exodus?

Will the Budget be enough to halt the UK's high-net-worth exodus?

'People are not buying into the chancellor's message that the UK is pro-business'

Stephen Kenny
clock 01 December 2025 • 4 min read