P53Z: Claim a tax refund when you've flexibly accessed all of your pension
Form P53Z is the HMRC claim for people who have emptied their pension pot using pension flexibility, or received a serious ill health lump sum, and have paid too much tax on the payment.
This is the genuine HMRC PDF, unmodified. Source: HMRC official page.
What is P53Z?
P53Z lets you reclaim Income Tax in the current tax year when you have flexibly accessed all of your pension fund and are still working or receiving other taxable income. Providers usually apply an emergency tax code to the first flexible payment, which almost always over deducts tax on a one off withdrawal.
The form collects your personal details, the lump sum and tax figures from the P45 the pension provider issued, and an estimate of your other income for the tax year so HMRC can calculate the correct liability. HMRC will not process the claim without parts 2 and 3 of every P45 relating to the pension payments.
Who files P53Z?
- People who have taken their whole pension pot as a flexible payment and are still working
- People who have received a serious ill health lump sum taxed at emergency rates
- Anyone whose pension scheme is unable to make the repayment itself
- People outside Self Assessment who want the refund now rather than after the tax year ends
How to fill out P53Z
- Collect parts 2 and 3 of all P45s from the pension payments, your National Insurance number and your other income figures.
- Complete the personal details section and confirm that you have taken all of your pension pot.
- Enter the taxable lump sum and the tax deducted exactly as shown on the P45.
- Estimate your remaining income for the tax year, including wages, other pensions, taxable benefits, savings and dividends.
- Sign the declaration and post the form with parts 2 and 3 of your P45s to Pay As You Earn, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AS.
Get P53Z
HMRC publishes P53Z as a flat PDF with no built-in form fields, so there is no quick-fill form here. Open it in the editor to type directly onto the pages, tick boxes and sign, or download the official blank and complete it in your PDF reader or by hand.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use P55 instead of P53Z?
Use P55 if you took only part of your pension pot and will not take any more payments before the end of the tax year. P53Z is for people who have emptied the pot completely and still have other taxable income.
What if I have stopped working?
If you have taken all of your pension fund and have stopped work, HMRC directs you to form P50Z instead. P53Z assumes you still have other income in the tax year.
How will HMRC pay me?
HMRC works out the repayment from the figures you give and, once the tax year ends, checks it against your final position. Payment method and timing depend on how you claim, so check the current guidance on gov.uk.