Peter1981

That simply takes me to the phone number which as John has already said never gets through.

So I've completed my tax return, but I can't submit it because my HMRC app has now logged me out, and therefore I can't get an access code. I can't log back in to the app because I need an access code to do that. So I click the link that says "Problems with the app? You can get help". Then the two options are "Change how I get my access code" and "Try again later". The "try again later" option is not exactly very helpful, so I click the first option. Then I'm told to "Call the online services helpline" on 0300 200 3600. So I ring. And hold. And hold. And hold. And hold. And hold. Any suggestions? Is there no way I can ask for a new access code to be sent by SMS?

I know that. Let me try another example. I earn £60k but pay £9k in pension contributions under net pay arrangement. So my income is over £50k, so I have to pay the charge. However, there is nowhere to input the £9k pension contributions - there is no box to input pension payments made under net pay arrangements. Please don't point me back to the "pension contributions" page of the tax return because we've already been there! That means that when the time comes to calculate the charge, it doesn't take the £9k payments into account and calculates the charge based on an income of £60k. I know I need to pay the charge. But I don't believe I should be asked to repay ALL of the child benefit, because my "effective income" should only be £51k, not £60k. Could the next HMRC agent to response please read the whole thread before replying! Thanks 

To add to my previous post - whilst my pension payments do not "not decrease the taxable income", my understanding is that they *do* decrease the "adjusted net income" used to calculate the child benefit tax charge. Thanks, Peter

Hi, I am not talking about taxable income. I am talking about income for the purposes of the child benefit charge. Please read the example I gave in my first post here. I understand I can deduct pension payments from my income when calculating if my income is over £50k even if those payments are deducted before tax. Is that not right? Thanks Peter

Good afternoon, Thank you for this, but unfortunately it doesn't help. The question within "Tailor your return" asks: "Did you make contributions towards a personal pension or retirement annuity? This does not include payments you make to your employer's pension scheme, which are deducted from your pay." All of my pension contributions were made to my employer's pension scheme and deducted from my pay. So I cannot tick "yes" to this option. Even if I do, the section in question gives me the opportunity to enter "payments to your employer's scheme which were not deducted from your pay before tax", but all of my contributions WERE deducted before tax. Please could you look at this again and confirm what I should do? Regards Peter

I have the same question. My situation is similar. Using example figures: if I earn £60000, but pay £10001 in pension contributions, I don't pay the child benefit charge as my "income" is less than £50k. I don't have to tick the "Income >£50k" box and the "Child Benefit High Income Charge" section of the form doesn't appear. But if I earn £60000 but pay only £9999 in pension contributions, my "income" of the purposes of the charge is more than £50k so I have to tick that box on the return and complete the "Child Benefit High Income Charge" section of the form. It then works out the charge based on my income of £60k - there is nowhere to tell HMRC about the £9999 pension contributions - so it tells me I have to pay back 100% of the Child Benefit received. It doesn't seem right that by paying £2 more in pension contributions I can reduce the charge from 100% to 0%!