Brits paying into a pension could be missing out on important funds because not enough people are clued-up about a very handy hack, one leading financial firm said.
Many private and workplace pensions allow family members and friends to contribute to your pot, so you could build up extra cash for your retirement, pensions, and savings, investment experts explained.
But, additionally, when they pay in, you are eligible to claim tax relief on the money and your circumstances are taken into account, not the person contributing.
That means you could be entitled to hundreds of pounds on top of the cash contributions received.
Path Financial said it’s this benefit that many people don’t realise, and it could boost the funds they receive when they retire.
Rowan Harding, financial planner at Path Financial, said: “There are lots of people who are just beginning their career, for example, who do not make huge contributions to their pension pot who may benefit from having someone pay into their retirement plan for them.
“They can then claim tax relief on those contributions based on their own circumstances, meaning they could get even more money added to their pot.
"What we need to do is get the word out that if you are putting money into someone else's pension, they can get additional tax relief from your contribution, which they would not receive by just taking into account their workplace or own personal contributions.”
Path Financial wants those who don’t earn enough to know you can still pay in up to £2,880 in contributions towards a pension and are able to claim tax relief on it.
The tax relief would be up to a valuable £720 a year into your pension. Rowan added: “This, in particular, is useful to know if you don’t earn money but still want to contribute to a pension. You can get significant amounts of money from the contributions that someone else pays into your pot through the tax relief system.”
HMRC said: “When someone else (for example your partner) pays into your pension, you automatically get tax relief at 20% if your pension provider claims it for you (relief at source).
“If you’re in a workplace pension that allows other people to contribute you may need to claim the tax relief on those contributions - call or write to HMRC.”
