How to add tax refund for SIPP payments into my SIPP for higher tax payer

I'm a higher rate band tax payer and have a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). By the end of the tax year 2023-2024, I will have paid several thousand pounds into the SIPP. I know I can do a self assessment and claim back the extra 20%. I would really like this to end up in the SIPP, rather than having cash. Is there a way to instruct HMRC to pay this to the SIPP company? Otherwise, am I allowed to pay this into the SIPP and somehow notify them not to add 25% to this?

Hi kwaku fa,
No.  You are claiming tax relief, as you pay tax at the higher rate.  Any tax overpaid, as a result of claiming the relief, can only be paid to you.
Thank you.

Am I allowed the pay the refunded overpaid tax back into the SIPP?

Hi,

What you do with your refund is up to you.

Thank you.

Great, thanks.

By paying the tax refund into the fund, you'd get an additional automatic 20% refund. And the next year you'd be able to get the additional 20% back. This could lead to a loop where you keep getting tax back -- is this correct? This can't be right, for sure?

Indeed, that would be too good to be true - the missing detail is that the refund paid to you, becomes part of your overall taxable income, and so is itself taxed. The end result of all of these processes is that you end up having been relieved of income tax **on the amount that actually ended up being added to your pension**, but not having received any "bonus" relief outside of the pension.