Guidance

Claim a tax refund on your pension by post

Find out how to claim a tax refund on an additional lump sum or cash payment your private pension.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs
• Published: 1 October 2026

You may be able to claim a refund if you’ve paid too much tax on your pension.

Check how to claim a tax refund on your pension

There are different ways to claim depending on the type of payment you’ve received.

Use this tool to find out how to claim your refund.

If you cannot claim online

1. Check which form to use.

2. Print the relevant form.

3. Fill it in by hand.

4. Post it to HMRC (the address is at the end of the form).

Printable forms

If you use the incorrect form, your refund may be delayed.

P50Z — Claim a tax refund if you've stopped work and flexibly accessed all of your pension

PDF, 285 KB, 5 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P50Z(DB) — Claim back Income Tax on a pension death benefit lump sum payment if you've stopped working

PDF, 276 KB, 5 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P53 — Claim a tax refund when you've taken a small pension lump sum

PDF, 311 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P53Z — Claim a tax refund when you've flexibly accessed all of your pension

PDF, 672 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P53Z(DB) — Claim back Income Tax on a pension death benefit lump sum

PDF, 665 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P55 — Claim back tax on a flexibly accessed pension overpayment

PDF, 269 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

P55(DB) — Claim back Income Tax on a flexibly accessed pension death benefit payment

PDF, 265 KB, 8 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

What happens next

We’ll work out any repayment due to you. We’ll make the repayment by Faster Payments into a bank account held in your name or your nominee’s.

At the end of the tax year we’ll check again to make sure we’ve refunded the correct amount and will contact you if this is different.

Find out when you can expect to receive a reply from HMRC to a query or request you’ve made.