Thousands face unexpected tax bills due to 'complex' annual allowance taper

'Fiendishly' hard to understand

Jenna Towler
clock • 4 min read

Rules restricting tax relief on pension contributions for people earning over £150,000 are 'fiendishly complex' and will result in unexpected bills, Hargreaves Lansdown has warned.

The tapered annual allowance for high earners came into effect in the 2016/17 tax year meaning high earners who have inadvertently overpaid will face surprise tax bills as they file returns by 31 January. About 131,000 workers in the UK earn more than £150,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, Hargreaves said the highly complex rules mean many more people will be affected as income from other sources like dividends, property and interest are also included, as well employer pension contributions. It said 364,000 people could have to deal with the tapered ann...

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

Predictions and the value of financial advice

Predictions and the value of financial advice

'If there is one profession that has had to become comfortable with uncertainty, it is ours'

Andrew Aldridge
clock 10 September 2026 • 7 min read
Majority of advisers want CGT reporting in platform tax packs

Majority of advisers want CGT reporting in platform tax packs

Some 39% of advice firms cite tax planning as a priority

Sophia Panayi
clock 09 September 2026 • 1 min read
Healey pledges growth through devolution but dodges tax questions

Healey pledges growth through devolution but dodges tax questions

First major speech as chancellor

clock 07 September 2026 • 3 min read