The annual allowance is £60,000. Unused allowance from the last three years stacks. Together you can sometimes contribute £180,000+ in a single year.
Adjusted income drives whether the annual allowance tapers; contributions made so far set the remaining room.
Both your own and employer's contributions combined. 2022/23 had a £40,000 allowance; the £60,000 era starts 2023/24.
To carry forward from a prior year you must have been a member of a UK registered pension scheme during that year.
Full £60,000 annual allowance plus three years of carry-forward
| Year | Allowance | Used | Unused |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | £40,000 | £10,000 | £30,000 |
| 2023/24 | £60,000 | £15,000 | £45,000 |
| 2024/25 | £60,000 | £20,000 | £40,000 |
Use this year's allowance first, then the oldest of the three prior years (2022/23) first, working forwards. Unused allowance from earlier than three years ago is permanently lost. The salary cap on personal contributions still applies - you can contribute at most up to your relevant earnings in any one year.
UK 2025/26 figures. Annual allowance £60,000 with taper above £260,000 adjusted income (reducing by £1 per £2 over, down to a £10,000 floor at £360,000 adjusted income). 2022/23 had a £40,000 allowance. Personal contributions are capped at 100% of relevant earnings; employer contributions are not. Not advice.
Worth tracks every contribution across every pension wrapper and surfaces the carry-forward window before the tax year closes. Join the waitlist.
For tapering purposes, it is total taxable income plus all employer pension contributions, before your personal pension contributions. If yours is above £260,000, the £60,000 allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 over the threshold, down to a £10,000 floor. Above £360,000 adjusted income, the allowance is the £10,000 minimum.
No. If you contribute more than the current year's allowance and you have unused capacity from prior years, HMRC automatically uses the carry-forward. Keep records of prior-year contributions in case HMRC queries the position.
Carry-forward is about the allowance, not your earnings in those years. As long as you were a member of a UK registered pension scheme (workplace, SIPP, anything), you accrue allowance. The salary cap only applies to the year you make the contribution - you can carry forward unused allowance even from years when your income was modest.