EIM15414 | Non-approved schemes: contributions made by employee
From HM Revenue & Customs · Employment Income Manual
Contributions made by an employee to a non-approved retirement benefits scheme:
are not assessable on the employee
do not qualify for tax relief. The only exception to this is in relation to a scheme that has received corresponding approval status from Pensions Schemes Services (PSS), see EIM32661.
do not give rise to a charge under Section 394 ITEPA 2003 (other than as a pension under Part 9 ITEPA 2003 see EIM15420).
It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to show that contributions qualify.