HMRC Pension Carry Forward Calculator wrong?

I used the online calculator to see the maximum I could add to my pension this year, but found the calculation does not make sense. The allowance can be carried forward from the previous 3 tax years. So... This would be 2021/22, 2022/23 & 2023/24 And the assumption (& shown on a lot of other websites) it is the total allowances for these 3 years plus the current year? 40k + 40k + 60k + 60k = 200k MINUS any pension savings in each respective year. As a test I put into a figure of 10,000 per year from 2021/22 to 2024/25. (Threshold income < 200k per year). The results are as follows:- 2021/22 allowance 40k, 10k savings, unused allowance 30k C/F 2022/23 allowance 70k (30k B/F + 40k), minus 10k savings, unused allowance 60k C/F 2023/24 allowance 120k (60k B/F + 60k), minus 10k savings, unused allowance 110k C/F 2024/25 allowance 170k (110k B/F + 60k). minus 10k savings, unused allowance 130k? (170-10 = 160, not 130???). This doesn't make sense as to how it says the allowance is 170k, but after 10k of pension savings, the unused allowance is now 130k. Can someone explain? (especially as calculators/examples from other financial sites show the result should be 160k).

Hi,
The calculationis correct. The unused relief for 2021/22 has dropped off. Any unused allowances are carried over for up to 3 years.
Thank you.

Hi, Therefore doesn't this mean the wording is wrong? (Or confusing). From the HMRC website - quote: "You can carry forward unused allowance from the 3 previous tax years" "3 PREVIOUS" tax years would be 21-22, 22-23, 23-24 surely? (24-25 being the current) - So in the above reply, it doesn't make sense that 21/22 has "dropped off" as this is the 3rd previous tax year..... isn't it?

Hi,
The calculator specifies  that any unused allowances are carried over for up to 3 years.
Thank you.

I think the point the calculator is trying to communicate is that the unused allowance from 2021/22 is inaccessible *after* 2024/25, and will not be available in 2025/26

re maxb - that's a nice theory - but it does the same historically too - it definitely only carries forward the two previous tax years. I have studied HMRC guidance very carefully and I am as certain as I can be it's wrong.

Hi, Yes, I figured out eventually that as long as you focus on the available annual allowance figure for 24/25 then it works out. The unused allowance figure misleads you to think this is related to 24/25, when actually it is for next year (25/26) assuming no further savings in the current year. It could be made a bit more user friendly and if it has something like "Unused annual allowance to be C/F" instead, it might avoid people like me getting confused. :-)

OK that now makes sense :). It should definitely say amount available to carry forward to next tax year (and arguably add the next two future tax years as well to make it clearer).