UK High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) Optimizer
uk_child_benefit_chargeHow much of your child benefit the £60k–£80k charge claws back — and the exact pension contribution that makes it disappear. Computes the High Income Child Benefit Charge on the higher earner’s adjusted net income (ANI): 1% of the household’s child benefit per £200 of ANI above £60,000, reaching 100% at £80,000. Then it computes the lever most people miss — relief-at-source pension contributions are grossed up ×1.25 before they reduce ANI, so a precise net contribution can zero the charge while collecting higher-rate relief on top. General AI still quotes the old £50,000 threshold, cites the household-income reform that was announced and then dropped, and tells you Self Assessment is required when PAYE collection has been live since September 2025.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| giftAid | No | Gift Aid donations this year (net) (£) Charity donations under Gift Aid (what you actually gave). Like pensions, they are grossed up ×1.25 and reduce adjusted net income. | |
| children | No | Children you claim child benefit for Eldest child £27.05/week, each additional child £17.90/week (2026-27). | |
| higherIncome | No | Higher earner’s taxable income (£) The HIGHER earner’s adjusted-net-income components before this tool’s deductions: salary + bonus + benefits in kind (company car, medical) + rental and investment income. The charge always tests the higher partner individually — never the household total. | |
| pensionContributions | No | Pension contributions this year (relief at source, net) (£) What you actually paid into a personal/workplace relief-at-source pension (the net amount). The provider adds 25% basic-rate relief, and the GROSSED-UP figure (×1.25) reduces your adjusted net income — this is the lever that shrinks or zeroes the charge. Salary-sacrifice and net-pay contributions are already out of your taxable income, so leave those out. |