You can reduce your tax bill up to £252 in the tax year.
Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,260 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner.
This reduces their tax by up to £252 in the tax year (6 April to 5 April the next year).
To benefit as a couple, the lower earner must normally have an income below his/her Personal Allowance - this is £12,570 for 2022/23 tax year.
Who can apply
You can benefit from Marriage Allowance if all the following apply:
you’re married or in a civil partnership
you do not pay Income Tax or your income is below your Personal Allowance
your partner pays Income Tax at the basic rate, which usually means their income is between £12,571 and £50,270 (for tax year 2022/23) before they receive Marriage Allowance
You cannot claim Marriage Allowance if you’re living together but you’re not married or in a civil partnership.
Please note that:
If you’re in Scotland, your partner must pay the starter, basic or intermediate rate, which usually means their income is between £12,571 and £43,662 (2022/23 tax year).
If you or your partner were born before 6 April 1935, you might benefit more as a couple by applying for Married Couple’s Allowance instead.
You cannot get Marriage Allowance and Married Couple’s Allowance at the same time.
If your partner has died since 5 April 2018 you can still claim - phone the Income Tax helpline. If your partner was the lower earner, the person responsible for managing their tax affairs needs to phone.
It will not affect your application for Marriage Allowance if you or your partner:
are currently receiving a pension
live abroad - as long as you get a Personal Allowance.
Backdating your claim
You can backdate your claim to include any tax year since 5 April 2018 that you were eligible for Marriage Allowance.
Your partner’s tax bill will be reduced depending on the Personal Allowance rate for the years you’re backdating.
Stopping Marriage Allowance
Your Personal Allowance will transfer automatically to your partner every year until you cancel Marriage Allowance - for example if your income changes or your relationship ends.
Comments