Tapered annual allowance

The annual allowance of £60,000 may be reduced or ‘tapered’ if your ‘threshold income’ (your annual income before tax less any personal pension contributions and ignoring any employer contribution) is over £200,000.

If it is below £200,000 the tapered reduction will not normally apply.

If your threshold income is above £200,000, then you need to check if your ‘adjusted income’ (your annual income - broadly all income that you are taxed on including dividends, savings interest and rental income - before tax plus the value of your own and any employer pension contributions) is over £260,000. If it is above £260,000, the annual allowance will reduce by £1 for every £2 that your ‘adjusted income’ exceeds £260,000.

The maximum reduction is £50,000 which reduces the annual allowance to £10,000 but only once adjusted income reaches £360,000 or more.

Similar tapering applies to the alternative annual allowance if you are an active member of a defined benefit (final/career average salary) pension.

For more detailed information on the income definitions and how you can calculate your allowance if you think you are affected see our tapered annual allowance guide.

Important information - please keep in mind that the value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Eligibility to invest in a SIPP and tax treatment depends on personal circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. You cannot normally access money in a SIPP until age 55 (57 from 2028). This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice.