MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert is reminding married couples they may be entitled to claim back tax worth up to £1,220.
It comes after one MSE reader successfully made a claim worth £990 in overpaid tax.
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In the latest tips newsletter Barbera said: “I made a claim and I’m awaiting a £738 cheque and we’ll pay £252 less this year. So pleased, thanks.”
Couples who are married or in a civil partnership can claim the support for the current tax year, as well as back date it for up to the previous four years.
The marriage tax allowance was introduced in 2015 and yet it’s estimated that around 2.4million couples are still missing out.
The tax relief is worth a different amount every year. For example, this year those eligible can claim back £252, while for the 2020/21 tax year it was worth £250.
Who can claim Marriage Allowance?
TO be able to claim your tax break you need to tick all of these boxes:
- You’re married or in a civil partnership
- Your income is £12,500 or less. This includes people who don’t work
- Your partner’s income is between £12,501 and £50,000
You can’t claim it if
- You and your partner live together but aren’t married
- You were born before April 6, 1935.
For more information visit the Gov.uk website.
Here’s how much the relief is worth for current and past four tax years:
- 2021/22 – £252
- 2020/21 – £250
- 2019/20 – £250
- 2018/19 – £238
- 2017/18 – £230
The maximum amount that can be claimed is £1,220 but exactly how much you will get depends on how long you have been married or in a civil partnership for.
The allowance applies to couples where one of you is a non-taxpayer (earning less than £12,500) and the other is a basic-rate tax payer, meaning you earn less than £50,000 a year.
It allows you to transfer £1,250 of your personal allowance (the amount you can earn tax-free each tax year) between you to cut your yearly tax bill.
Once you’ve made a successful claim, HMRC will automatically lower the higher earner’s tax bill for the next tax year.
In 2019, the marriage tax allowance was extended to 3.3million UK couples who are in a civil partnership, rather than exclusively for married partners.
It means partners can simply sign a legal agreement instead of having to pay for a minister to officiate the relationship at a religious or civil ceremony.
How do I apply?
You can only apply if you are the non-taxpayer – or lower earner – in the relationship.
You need to fill out a form on the Gov.uk website and you’ll need your national insurance numbers and a form of ID for the non-taxpayer.
Whatever way you apply, any backdated money owed to you will be calculated automatically and sent to you as a cheque.
If you need any assistance applying, you can call the HMRC helpline on 03000 200 3300.
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In February, this year, 700,000 couples across the UK were found to be missing out by not applying for the marriage tax allowance.
Last week, a reader received a £5,000 council tax refund and £15,000 to do up their home after following Martin Lewis’ advice.
The consumer guru also warned vulnerable Brits could be missing out on Universal Credit due to tricky paperwork.
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