Paying National Insurance contributions is part of working life for most people in the UK. The standard rate of National Insurance is 12% on earnings between £190 and £967 per week for the 2022/23 tax year.[1] This can represent a significant chunk of a worker’s take-home pay. It’s understandable that reducing your National Insurance bill might be appealing if you can do so legally.
One way some workers aim to cut their NI contributions is by making additional pension contributions. But does this method genuinely save you money overall? There are a few factors to consider.
What are the rules around NI and pension contributions?
The first thing to understand is how pension contributions interact with your NI liabilities. Here are the key points:
– Pension contributions are deducted from your total taxable income before NI is calculated. So contributing more to your pension pot can potentially push your income into a lower NI bracket.
– There is an annual allowance for pension contributions on which you get tax relief. For most people, this is £40,000 in the 2022/23 tax year.[2]
– Any pension contributions above this allowance may be subject to Income Tax charges.
– Your personal allowance (the amount you can earn tax-free each year) is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted income above £100,000.[3] This means your NI may increase if you contribute too much.
So in simple terms, paying into a pension can lower your NI bill if it takes your income below the NI threshold or into a lower bracket. But contributing above your allowances could have the opposite effect.
How much NI could I potentially save?
Obviously the potential NI saving depends on your individual circumstances and income level. But let’s take an example:
Say your salary is £45,000 per year. This would put you in the basic rate Income Tax bracket, with NI charged at 12% on income between £9,880 and £50,270.[4]
If you made an additional pension contribution of £5,000, your NI bill could be reduced because that £5,000 is deducted from your taxable income.
Here is a table comparing your NI position with and without the £5,000 pension contribution:
| Income position | NI payable |
|---|---|
| Salary: £45,000 | £4,928 |
| Salary: £45,000 Plus pension contribution: £5,000 Taxable income: £40,000 |
£3,710 |
By contributing £5,000 to your pension you could potentially reduce your NI bill by £1,218 in this example.
The more you contribute relative to your earnings, the greater the possible NI saving, up to your annual allowance. But you need to weigh this against the cost of making larger pension contributions (see disadvantages below).
What are the potential disadvantages?
While paying into a pension can produce NI savings in some cases, there are also some drawbacks and risks to be aware of:
– **Reduced take-home pay** – Contributing more to your pension means you have less monthly income to live on now. This may not be affordable for some people.
– **Less flexibility** – Money in your pension pot cannot normally be accessed until age 55 at the earliest.[5] So you sacrifice control of that money in the short to medium term.
– **Annual allowance charges** – If your contributions exceed the £40,000 annual allowance you could face a tax charge of up to 45% on the excess amount.[6] This claws back some or all of the NI saving.
– **Lifetime allowance** – There is also a lifetime pension allowance currently set at £1,073,100. Exceeding this can result in tax charges of up to 55% on the excess.[7] So your pension pot may get hit with charges eventually.
– **Investment risk** – Pension investments could fall in value, reducing what you get back in retirement.So you take on some risk by locking money away into a pension.
Overall, while making additional pension contributions can produce NI savings under certain conditions, it also carries some drawbacks and potential costs you need to consider carefully. The right approach depends on your financial situation.
Other ways to reduce NI
Besides pension contributions, there may be other ways to cut your NI bill legally. Some options to explore include:
– **Salary sacrifice** – Some employers allow you to sacrifice part of your salary in return for benefits. If done through a registered scheme, this can reduce your NI liability because you’re taxed on a lower salary amount.[8] Commonly sacrificed benefits include childcare vouchers and cycle-to-work schemes.
– **Use allowances** – such as your £12,570 personal allowance, £1,000 trading allowance or £1,000 property allowance.[9] Adjust your income so more falls under these allowances to limit your NI bill.
– **Incorporate** – Sole traders and partners can consider incorporating as a limited company. This enables taking income through dividends with no NI rather than salary.[10] However, this option requires professional advice to ensure tax compliance. There are also pros and cons to weigh up.
– **Claim NI credits** – Those earning below certain thresholds can claim NI credits to maintain their entitlement to some state benefits.[11] For example, the married woman’s reduced rate election.
So evaluate all the legal options for reducing your NI to find the right approach for your situation.
Conclusion
Making extra pension contributions can lower your NI bill by deducting money from your taxable income. In theory, it’s possible to save hundreds of pounds.
However, you need to weigh this against the cost of contributing more to your pension, investment risks and potential tax charges if you exceed the annual or lifetime allowances.
Other NI-saving strategies like salary sacrifice, allowances and incorporation may be suitable alternatives depending on your circumstances. Professional advice can help maximise use of reliefs and allowances legally.
The key is understanding how pension contributions interact with NI rules, weighing up the pros and cons, and considering other compliant ways to minimise your NI liability. With the right approach, some savings are possible but there are no loopholes to eliminate NI completely.
