End of Tax Year 2025/26 Pension & ISA Checklist: What to Do Before April 5

Six days. That's what's left of the 2025/26 tax year. After midnight on 5 April, every unused allowance resets — your £20,000 ISA limit, your £60,000 pension annual allowance, and three years of carry forward that you'll never get back.

This isn't a planning exercise — it's a use-it-or-lose-it deadline. Here's what to check before April 5.

1. Use Your ISA Allowance (£20,000)

The ISA allowance for 2025/26 is £20,000 per adult. Unlike pensions, there's no carry forward — if you don't use it, it's gone.

You can split the allowance across:

• Cash ISA — for short-term savings or emergency funds
• Stocks & Shares ISA — for long-term growth (retirement planning, etc.)
• Innovative Finance ISA — for peer-to-peer lending

If you can't contribute the full £20,000, contribute what you can. Even £1,000 in a Stocks & Shares ISA grows tax-free — no CGT, no dividend tax, no income tax on withdrawals. Ever.

Junior ISAs have a separate £9,000 allowance. If you have children, this resets too.

What to do now

• Check how much you've contributed this tax year across all ISA types
• Transfer cash into your ISA before April 5 — most platforms process same-day transfers
• If you're torn between Cash and Stocks & Shares, remember: money you won't need for 5+ years is usually better off invested

2. Maximise Your Pension Contributions (£60,000 Annual Allowance)

The pension annual allowance for 2025/26 is £60,000. That's the maximum you can contribute (including employer contributions) and still receive tax relief without triggering a tax charge.

For higher or additional rate taxpayers, the maths is hard to beat. A £10,000 pension contribution costs a 40% taxpayer just £6,000 after tax relief.

High earners: If your adjusted income exceeds £260,000, the tapered annual allowance reduces your limit — potentially down to £10,000. Check your position before making large contributions.

What to do now

• Check your total pension contributions for the year (employee + employer)
• If you have headroom, make a lump sum contribution to your SIPP or personal pension before April 5
• Remember: your contribution must be received by your pension provider before the deadline, not just initiated

3. Carry Forward — 2022/23 Allowance Expires This April

This is the big one. Carry forward lets you use unused pension annual allowance from the previous three tax years. On 6 April 2026, the 2022/23 tax year drops out of the window — and any unused allowance from that year is lost permanently.

The 2022/23 annual allowance was £40,000. If you didn't use all of it, you can contribute the unused portion now (on top of your 2025/26 allowance) and still receive full tax relief.

Here's how the carry forward window looks right now:

Tax Year	Annual Allowance	Available Until
2022/23	£40,000	5 April 2026 ⚠️
2023/24	£60,000	5 April 2027
2024/25	£60,000	5 April 2028
2025/26	£60,000	Current year

Maximum possible contribution this year: Up to £220,000 if you've used none of your allowance in any of these years (and have sufficient earnings to support the contribution).

Most people won't have £220,000 going spare. But if you had a bonus, sold a business, or have cash earmarked for retirement — this is the year to act. The 2022/23 window doesn't come back.

What to do now

• Review your pension contribution history for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25
• Calculate your unused allowance (your pension provider or HMRC can help)
• Make a contribution before April 5 if you have unused 2022/23 allowance — it expires in days
• We have a detailed guide to carry forward rules if you need the full picture

4. Salary Sacrifice — Last Chance This Pay Cycle

If your employer offers salary sacrifice, a pre-April contribution saves you both income tax and National Insurance. That's a bigger saving than a standard pension contribution, which only saves income tax.

For a basic-rate taxpayer, £1,000 via salary sacrifice costs approximately £680 after tax and NI savings. Via a standard contribution, the same £1,000 costs £800.

The catch: salary sacrifice changes usually need to be processed through payroll, and many employers need advance notice. If your next payday falls before April 5, contact your HR or payroll team today.

What to do now

• Ask your employer if they can process a one-off salary sacrifice increase for the March/April pay run
• If not possible this cycle, note it for the 2026/27 tax year — set it up in April so you benefit for the full year ahead

5. Top Up Your National Insurance Record

Your state pension depends on your National Insurance record. You need 35 qualifying years for the full new state pension (£230.25 per week in 2025/26). Each missing year reduces your pension by roughly £6.58 per week — that's £342 per year, every year of retirement.

You can fill gaps going back six years by paying voluntary Class 3 contributions. Right now, that means you can fill gaps as far back as 2019/20 — but only until 5 April 2026. After that, 2019/20 drops out of the window.

A single year of voluntary Class 3 contributions costs £907.40 (2025/26 rate — £17.45 per week). For that, you get an extra £342 per year in state pension. Over 20 years of retirement, that's roughly £6,800 back on a £907 outlay.

What to do now

• Check your state pension forecast on GOV.UK — it shows your current entitlement and any gaps
• If you have gaps in 2019/20, consider paying voluntary contributions before April 5
• Call the Future Pension Centre (0800 731 0175) if you're unsure which years to fill — not all gaps are worth filling
• Read our guide to buying NI years for a full breakdown

6. Claim Pension Credit If You're Eligible

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 (single) or £332.95 (couples) if you're over state pension age with a low income. It's worth up to £11,344 per year for a single person — yet around 38% of eligible people don't claim it.

It also unlocks:

• Council tax reduction (up to 100% discount)
• Free TV licence if you're over 75
• Help with NHS costs (dental, glasses, prescriptions)
• Warm Home Discount (£150 off energy bills)
• Housing Benefit top-ups

You can backdate a claim by up to three months, so claiming now could cover you from January 2026.

What to do now

• Use the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator to check eligibility
• Call the Pension Credit claim line: 0800 99 1234
• If you know someone who might be eligible, tell them — this is the most under-claimed benefit in the UK

7. Use Your Capital Gains Tax Allowance (£3,000)

The CGT annual exemption for 2025/26 is just £3,000 — down from £6,000 last year and £12,300 two years ago. If you hold investments outside an ISA with unrealised gains, consider selling enough to use this year's exemption before it resets.

You can sell and immediately reinvest in an ISA (known as "bed and ISA") to crystallise the gain within your CGT allowance and shelter future growth from tax.

What to do now

• Review investments held outside ISAs for unrealised gains
• Consider a "bed and ISA" transfer — sell, use CGT allowance, rebuy inside your ISA
• Remember: the £3,000 allowance covers your total gains from all sources, including property (other than your main home)

8. Check Your Dividend Allowance (£500)

The tax-free dividend allowance remains at £500 for 2025/26. If you receive dividends from investments or a limited company, any amount above £500 is taxed at 8.75% (basic rate), 33.75% (higher rate), or 39.35% (additional rate).

There's nothing to "use" here — but if you're close to the boundary and can defer a dividend into the new tax year, that could save you a chunk of tax.

Your Complete Checklist

Here's everything in one place. Work through it this week:

• ISA — Contribute up to £20,000 (+ £9,000 Junior ISA)
• Pension contributions — Use your £60,000 annual allowance
• Carry forward — Use 2022/23 unused allowance before it expires forever
• Salary sacrifice — Contact payroll for a pre-April boost
• NI top-up — Fill gaps back to 2019/20 before the window closes
• Pension Credit — Check eligibility and claim (backdate 3 months)
• CGT allowance — Use your £3,000 exemption; consider bed and ISA
• Dividend allowance — Review if you're near the £500 threshold

See Where You Stand

Not sure whether your pension is on track after making these changes? The PoundSense Pension Calculator shows you exactly how your current contributions, state pension, and workplace pension combine into a retirement income — in about 60 seconds. Free, no sign-up required.

It won't tell you how much ISA to contribute. But it will tell you whether your pension is doing the heavy lifting it needs to.