Married couples could claim up to £1,260 tax break by April 2027

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 10:36 · Archive

Married couples and civil partners can claim up to £1,260 through Marriage Allowance, with backdated claims available until 5 April 2027.

Marriage Allowance allows one partner to transfer £1,260 of their unused Personal Allowance to their husband, wife or civil partner, reducing the other person's Income Tax bill by up to £252 a year. The claim can be backdated to 6 April 2022, meaning couples who have qualified in every tax year since then could receive up to £1,260 in total, including the current tax year. There is a deadline approaching: couples have until 5 April 2027 to include the 2022/23 tax year in a backdated claim.

According to HMRC, couples must meet three main conditions to benefit. In Scotland, the higher earner must pay the starter, basic or intermediate rate of Income Tax, which usually means earning between £12,571 and £43,662. Receiving a pension does not automatically rule couples out, and they may still qualify if they live abroad, provided both partners continue to receive a Personal Allowance.

Couples where either partner was born before 6 April 1935 may be better off applying for Married Couple's Allowance instead. Couples who are unsure whether they would be better off can use HMRC's free Marriage Allowance calculator to check. Ross Taylor from tax specialists EmpowerRD is urging couples to check whether they qualify before they miss out on the opportunity.

How it is being reported

• Little-known HMRC tax break could hand couples £1,260 – check if you qualifyMarried couples and civil partners could claim up to £1,260 through Marriage Allowance. Find out who qualifies and the April 2027 deadline.News Shopper · 5 Nov, 10:02
• Little-known HMRC tax break could hand couples £1,260 – check if you qualifyMarried couples and civil partners could claim up to £1,260 through Marriage Allowance. Find out who qualifies and the April 2027 deadline.This Is Local London · 5 Nov, 10:02
• Little-known HMRC tax break could hand couples £1,260 – check if you qualifyMarried couples and civil partners could claim up to £1,260 through Marriage Allowance. Find out who qualifies and the April 2027 deadline.Croydon Guardian · 5 Nov, 10:02
• Little-known HMRC tax break could hand couples £1,260 – check if you qualifyMarried couples and civil partners could claim up to £1,260 through Marriage Allowance. Find out who qualifies and the April 2027 deadline.Wandsworth Guardian · 5 Nov, 10:02

In this story: HMRC · EmpowerRD · Scotland

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