…for the 2 million parents HMRC contacted about a potential High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge. This could cost a family with 3 children as much as £2,449 each year.

While it might be too late to do anything to avoid the charge for 2012/13 our advice could help families to retain their child benefit going forwards.

Making a pension contribution before the tax year end could help families eliminate the tax charge for 2013/14 and give an effective rate of tax relief up to 70% (where there are 3 children, higher if more). And for some couples, it might be as simple as flipping existing pension saving to the highest earner.