Rebate: Couples can apply for free for the Marriage Allowance
Married couples who are eligible for a tax rebate are being warned to watch out for a fresh spate of claims companies, which charge to make an application that is available for free.
Couples who are married or in a civil partnership can apply for free for the Marriage Allowance, which is a tax break worth up to £252 a year. It allows a low earner in a couple to transfer up to £1,260 of their annual tax-free allowance to the higher earner.
The higher earner must earn between £12,571 and £50,270 to qualify. Claims can be backdated to April 5, 2018 – so a couple could currently request up to £1,008 in a single claim. But a growing number of firms are offering to make applications on behalf of couples – and cream off as much as 42 per cent as a fee.
In some cases, the firms set up official-looking websites to trick couples into believing they are going through the Revenue & Customs service.
Making a claim is straightforward and does not require third-party assistance. They can be made directly on the Revenue & Customs website in just a few minutes and with no charge.=
National Trading Standards has an ‘eCrime’ team that monitors misleading websites. A spokesman says: ‘These websites are deceiving people into spending over the odds for a Government service that is free.’
You should only ever use the official Revenue & Customs website to make a claim. Visit gov.uk or phone 0300 200 3300.
