HMRC urges eligible couples to claim Marriage Allowance
HMRC has reminded married couples eligible for the Marriage Allowance to make use of the tax relief.
HMRC have said that over 2.1 million couples currently benefit from the Allowance, and that married couples could save up to £252 a year.
Eligible couples are classed as:
- Those who are married or in a registered civil partnership;
- One spouse or partner does not pay income tax, or their income is below the Personal Allowance of £12,570;
- The other spouse or partner pays income tax at the basic rate.
It’s possible to backdate claims to include any tax year up to 6th April 2018, which could be worth up to £1,242 in tax relief.
Unless your Marriage Allowance is cancelled due to income changes or your relationship ends, your Personal Allowance will always transfer to your partner every year.
Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, said:
“We want every eligible couple to benefit from Marriage Allowance tax relief. Couples whose circumstances have changed – perhaps one of them has stopped working or taken a lower paid job – may not realise they are entitled to claim.”
“It’s easy to find out what you may be due – search ‘Marriage Allowance calculator’ on GOV.UK to get started. By applying on GOV.UK rather than through a third party, you get to keep 100% of the tax relief due.”
Danielle Harvey, Director at HTB Accountants, added:
“If you and your partner have been eligible for Marriage Allowance but have only discovered that you can apply, you can backdate your claim to include any tax year since 5th April 2018. This still applies if your partner has since passed away within this timeframe.”
“HTB Accountants are experts in dealing with personal taxes. If you’re looking for advice on how to apply for a Marriage Allowance, get in contact with us to discover how we can help.”
For more information on this change, visit the Gov.uk website.
