You could be missing out on a great wedding present from the government; £238 per year.
This is due to Marriage Allowance, a tax benefit afforded to those who are married or in civil partnerships. Currently, there are three million couples in the UK who have boosted their finances by taking advantage of the allowance (Source: HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs).
However, there are still more than one million couples who have not yet applied. They could be missing out on as much as £238 per year, and if they backdate their claim by the maximum of four years, that could rise by £662, equating to a total of £900 extra to spend on enjoying married life, rather than lining the taxman’s pocket.
What is Marriage Allowance?
Eligibility: In order to claim Marriage Allowance:
- You must be married or in a civil partnership
- One individual must earn less than £11,850, or nothing, while the other earns more (to a maximum of £46,350/ £43,430 in Scotland)
How it works: The lower earner can transfer £1,190 of their Personal Allowance to the higher earner. This could reduce the higher earner’s tax bill by up to £238 per year.
If you have been married for longer than one tax year and have been eligible to claim tax relief during that time, you can backdate your application up to four years.
How to apply: You can claim Marriage Allowance online by clicking here. You will need some details on hand, including your National Insurance number and proof of identity.
Things to note: You can continue to claim Marriage Allowance if you:
- Receive a pension
- Live abroad (and still have a Personal Allowance)
If you or your partner were born prior to 6th April 1935, Married Couple’s Allowance may be better suited to your circumstances. You cannot claim both at the same time, so be careful when applying.
For couple’s where one or both partners were born before 6th April 1935, you may continue to claim Married Couple’s Allowance.
What about Married Couple’s Allowance?
This allowance can only be claimed by couples where one or both partners were born before the start of the 1935/36 tax year.
Married Couple’s Allowance is different to Marriage Allowance in two ways:
- For couples who married before 2005, the tax relief is automatically calculated using the husband’s salary. For those married or partnered in 2005 or later, the income of the higher earner is used.
- Rather than transferring a predetermined amount from one partner to another, the relief is equal to 10% of the tax paid on the income used, from a minimum of £336, to a maximum of £869.50.
What to do if you think you are missing out
If you think you may be eligible for Marriage Relief or Married Couple’s Allowance and have not claimed yet, feel free to get in touch with us.
While we’re at it, we can check to see if you are missing out on any other benefits, allowances or processes which could make your money go further.
To get started, contact Sarah or Bev on 0115 933 8433.
