UK Pension Annual Allowance Calculator
Check your pension annual allowance for 2026/27 or 2025/26. See whether your allowance is standard, tapered, or subject to the MPAA, and calculate carry forward from the previous 3 tax years to find your total contribution headroom.
Enter what you plan to contribute this year to check for excess
Current Year AA
£60,000Standard
Carry Forward Available
£180,000Total Contribution Headroom
£60,000Tapered annual allowance by adjusted income (2026/27)
Once adjusted income exceeds £260,000 (and threshold income exceeds £200,000), your £60,000 allowance is cut by £1 for every £2 over, to a £10,000 floor reached at £360,000.
| Adjusted income | Annual allowance |
|---|---|
| £260,000 | £60,000 |
| £280,000 | £50,000 |
| £300,000 | £40,000 |
| £320,000 | £30,000 |
| £340,000 | £20,000 |
| £360,000+ | £10,000 |
Annual allowance & MPAA by tax year
| Tax year | Standard AA | MPAA | Taper starts (adjusted income) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | £40,000 | £4,000 | £240,000 |
| 2023-24 | £60,000 | £10,000 | £260,000 |
| 2024-25 | £60,000 | £10,000 | £260,000 |
| 2025-26 | £60,000 | £10,000 | £260,000 |
| 2026-27 | £60,000 | £10,000 | £260,000 |
The AA rose £40,000→£60,000 and the MPAA £4,000→£10,000 from 6 April 2023; both are unchanged through 2026/27.
Worked examples (2026/27)
Standard allowance
£80,000 income, £25,000 total contributions. Adjusted income is below £260,000, so the full £60,000 AA applies — the £25,000 is well within it, no charge.
Tapered (high earner)
£300,000 adjusted income → AA = £60,000 − (£300,000 − £260,000)/2 = £40,000. Contributions above this face an AA charge.
MPAA triggered
Once you flexibly access a DC pension, money-purchase contributions are capped at £10,000 (the MPAA), and you can't use carry-forward against it.
Carry forward
Used only £30,000 of your £60,000 AA in each of the last 3 years? You can carry forward the unused £90,000 on top of this year's £60,000 — if you have the earnings to support it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pension annual allowance?
The Annual Allowance (AA) is the maximum amount you can save into pensions each tax year while receiving tax relief. For 2025/26 the standard AA is £60,000. This covers all contributions — personal, employer, and third-party. You can also contribute up to 100% of your UK earnings, whichever is lower.
What is the tapered annual allowance?
If your threshold income exceeds £200,000 and your adjusted income exceeds £260,000, your Annual Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted income above £260,000, down to a minimum of £10,000. Adjusted income includes your gross income plus employer pension contributions.
How does pension carry forward work?
You can carry forward unused Annual Allowance from the previous 3 tax years. This means if you didn't use your full AA in earlier years, you can make larger contributions now without triggering an Annual Allowance Charge. You must have been a member of a registered pension scheme in each year you carry forward from.
What is the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA)?
If you have flexibly accessed your defined contribution pension (e.g., taken an uncrystallised funds pension lump sum or started flexi-access drawdown), your Annual Allowance for money purchase contributions is reduced to £10,000. The MPAA cannot be carried forward and you cannot use carry forward from previous years.
What happens if I exceed my annual allowance?
Contributions above your Annual Allowance (including any carry forward) are subject to an Annual Allowance Charge. The excess is added to your taxable income and taxed at your marginal rate. You must report this on your Self Assessment tax return. If the charge exceeds £2,000, you may be able to ask your pension scheme to pay it.