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Levels of Personal Allowance

The amount of your personal allowance depends on:

• your age
• your total income in the tax year

Total income means everything you receive from all taxable sources. That means you need to include things like pensions and interest on your savings in a building society before the tax has been taken off.

There are three levels of Personal Allowance

Personal Allowance	2012-13 tax year	Income limit
Basic	£8,105	£100,000
Age 65-74	£10,500	£25,400
Age 75 and over	£10,660	£25,400

If you become 65 or 75 during the year to 5 April 2013, you are entitled to the full allowance for that age group.

If you are 65 or over and your income is between £25,400 and £100,000

If your 'adjusted net income' - read more below - is over £25,400 (the income limit for age-related allowances) but not more than £100,000, your age-related Personal Allowance is reduced by half of the amount - £1 for every £2 - you have over the £25,400 limit, until the basic allowance is reached. So if, for example, you're 66 and have income of £25,900 - £500 over the limit - your age-related Personal Allowance is reduced by £250 to £10,250.

Adjusted net income is total income adjusted to take account of certain deductible allowances and reliefs such as trading losses, donations made to charities through Gift Aid and some pension contributions. Find out more about adjusted net income and how it is used for the calculation of the income-related reduction to the Personal Allowance and see worked examples by following the link below.

• Check Income Tax allowances and income limits for 2012-13 Opens new window

• Download 'Personal Allowance and adjusted net income' (PDF, 29K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

If your income is above £100,000

If your 'adjusted net income' - read more below - is over £100,000, your Personal Allowance is reduced by half of the amount – £1 for every £2 – you have over that limit. If your income is large enough, your Personal Allowance will be reduced to nil. This £100,000 limit applies irrespective of your age.

Adjusted net income is total income adjusted to take account of certain deductible allowances and reliefs such as trading losses, donations made to charities through Gift Aid and some pension contributions. Find out more about adjusted net income and how it is used for the calculation of the income-related reduction to the Personal Allowance and see worked examples by following the link below.

• Download 'Personal Allowance and adjusted net income' (PDF, 29K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

How do you get the Personal Allowance?

If you already pay tax through your job or pension, or if you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you should receive a Personal Allowance automatically.

If for any reason you are not receiving a Personal Allowance and you think you should be, please contact HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and they can check your entitlement with you.

In order to get the age-related Personal Allowance you need to complete form P161 Age-related Personal Allowance.

• Form P161 Age-related Personal Allowance Opens new window

• Contact HMRC Opens new window

If your income is above £100,000

Your tax code will take account of the income-related reduction to the Personal Allowance based on an estimate of your income. HMRC will work out the actual amount of Personal Allowance you are entitled to (if any) when you send in your tax return.

If you think you've paid too much tax

If you want to claim a tax refund because you didn't use your Personal Allowance, or for any other reason, you need to do so within certain time limits. The time you've got to make your claim is different depending on whether or not you complete a tax return. Follow the link below to find out how to claim and how long you've got to do so.

• Tax refunds and reclaiming overpaid tax

Who can't get the Personal Allowance?

You can't claim the Personal Allowance if you are non-UK domiciled and claim the special 'remittance' basis of tax - whereby you only pay tax on income you bring into the UK. If you think this applies to you, please contact HMRC Charity, Assets and Residency.

• Contact HMRC Charity, Assets and Residency Opens new window

Other allowances you may be able to get

Blind Person's Allowance

If you're certified blind and are on a local authority register of blind persons, or if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland and you are unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential, you can claim Blind Person's Allowance.

If you're married or in a civil partnership and can't use all your allowance, you can give the unused part to your spouse or civil partner. Even if you have no taxable income, it might be still worth claiming Blind Person's Allowance as your spouse or civil partner could benefit from your allowance.

• Blind Person's Allowance

Married Couple's Allowance - available to civil partners

You need to be a taxpayer to claim this allowance, because it's deducted from your tax bill - but it is possible to transfer the allowance to your spouse or civil partner.

You can claim Married Couple's Allowance if:

• you're married or in a civil partnership
• you're a taxpayer
• you or your spouse or civil partner were born before 6 April 2023

• Learn more about Married Couple's Allowance

Giving to charity - effect on your allowances

If you are 65 or over or your income is over £100,000 and you pay tax and give money to a UK charity or Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) using Gift Aid, it's important to let HMRC know. Your donation may have the effect of increasing the amount of tax-free income and related tax allowances you can receive.

Find out more about the effect donating through Gift Aid has on your allowances by following the link below.

• Tax relief when giving to charity through Gift Aid

More useful links

• Introduction to tax allowances and reliefs

• Do you have to pay tax in retirement? (pensions and retirement planning section)

• Planning for retirement (pensions and retirement planning section)

• Working and paying tax

• Tax when starting, leaving or retiring from work

• Check up-to-date figures for personal allowances from HMRC Opens new window

• More about civil partnerships Opens new window