What is the marriage allowance and how can I claim the tax break?
THOUSANDS of couples could be in line for tax relief worth up to £1,256.
The boost comes via the marriage allowance - here's everything you need to know about it.
What is the marriage tax allowance?
Marriage allowance lets married couples or those in a civil partnership share their personal tax allowances.
You can transfer 10%, reducing the tax your partner pays by up to £252 a year.
You can also backdate a claim by up to four years, so you can get a maximum of £1,256 back.
Are me and my partner eligible?
In a nutshell, one of you in the relationship needs to not earn enough to pay tax, while the other person needs to earn enough to be on the basic 20% tax rate.
But there are particular circumstances that must apply for you to be able to get the tax break:
- You are married or in a civil partnership
- Either you or your partner needs to be a non-taxpayer, which means you or they earn less than the this tax year's personal allowance which is £12,570
- The other person in the relationship must earn less than £50,270, which is the upper limit of the basic tax rate of 20%.
- You both have to be born on or after April 6, 1935.
It comes after HMRC revealed that March is the most popular month for marriage allowance applications, with nearly 70,000 applying in the month last year.
How can I apply?
The lower fee payer or non-taxpayer has to apply.
The easiest way is to fill out a form on the Government's website.
You’ll need both your National Insurance numbers and a form of ID for the non-taxpayer.
Alternatively, you can apply through self-assessment or by writing to HMRC.
The requirements you must meet include being a married couple or civil partnership - and being born on or after April 6, 1935.
Whichever way you do apply, any backdated money owed to you will be calculated automatically and sent to you as a cheque.
If you need any assistance applying, you can call the HMRC helpline on 03000 200 3300.
Here's how much the relief is worth for current and past four tax years:
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