Being self employed I am looking into paying some of my higher rate taxable income into a personal pension to gain some tax relief. I gather that HMRC will pay 22% basic rate tax into the pension and I can claim the additional 18% higher rate through my tax return but can anyone please confirm by way of a numerical example.

e.g. Say for simplicity I have 10k of earnings taxable at 40%, thereby am normally due to pay 4k of this in tax, leaving 6k.Is it therefore the case the case that by paying 6k into a pension, I still pay 2.2k in tax (which HMRC then pay into the pension) but save on 1.8k in the 40% bracket? So the pension ends up with 8.2k and I save 1.8k in tax?

And secondly, if the above is correct in the scenario of 10k higher rate taxable income, does my 6k pension contribution effectively use up this 10k of higher rate income or can I pay 10k into a pension and gain the corresponding increased tax benefits?

Lastly, I am considering investing in what was my contracted out of SERPS personal pension plan (not much in it) which is a Managed Fund with Norwich Union. If I'm looking for a middle of the road medium risk investment vehicle for my funds, would something like this do or should I be looking at opening a Stakeholder Pension?

Any help appreciated or other tax saving advice.

Lost in pensions

TT