What is Marriage Allowance?
Marriage Allowance enables you to transfer up to a maximum of £1,260 of your Personal Allowance to your partner/civil partner.
It is free to apply.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible, and to benefit as a couple, you must earn less than your partner and have an income of £12,570 or below.
Your partner’s income must be between £12,501 and £50,270.
If you or your partner live abroad, but still receive a Personal Allowance, you can still claim Marriage Allowance.
If your you or your partner were born before 6 April 1935, you might benefit more from Married Couple’s Allowance.
If your partner has died since 5 April 2017 you can still claim – phone the income tax helpline here: here
How much can I save?
You can reduce your tax by up to £252 for 2020/21.
Making this claim increases the higher earner’s personal allowance by the amount transferred.
It may not seem like a huge amount but remember that the claim can be backdated to 2017/18.
If you have not made this claim previously, it could be worth up to almost £900.
What happens if I have missed years of tax benefits?
You can backdate your claim to include any tax year since 5 April 2017 that you were eligible for Marriage Allowance.
Your partner’s tax relief will depend on the Personal Allowance rate for the relevant years.
Should I claim it?
Yes!
OK maybe it is not a good enough reason to get married, but there are still more than one million people not claiming marriage allowance, despite it having been recommended by HMRC.
HMRC estimate that of all eligible couples, one in four have not made a claim.
When you transfer some of your Personal Allowance to your partner, you might have to pay more tax yourself, but you could still pay less as a couple.
Unsure of something?
Please contact us here if you have any queries or need some friendly advice – we’d be happy to help.
Alternatively, come and visit us in Hazel Grove for no obligation coffee!
Additional Resources
Apply for Marriage Allowance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
