We got £1,037 in free cash with easy trick in just four days thanks to Martin Lewis – and time’s running out to claim

A HAPPY couple got a cheque for £1,037 through the post in just four days thanks to a Martin Lewis tip.

Fans of the money-saving expert applied for marriage tax allowance after watching his weekly show.

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Paul wrote to the MSE team to say that he had successfully claimed for marriage tax allowance and received the money in just days.

He said: “After seeing Martin talking about the marriage tax allowance on TV we applied using the government gateway.

“Four days later, we received a cheque for £1,037, thank you, we watch every show.”

Marriage tax allowance lets you share your tax burden with your partner if you are married or in a civil partnership.

However, there are just days left to apply for the 2019/2020 tax year if you want to cash in on £250.

If you think you might be eligible you will need to claim by Friday, April 5 to claim for 2019/2020.

Here is everything you need to know about the benefit.

What is the marriage tax allowance?

Marriage allowance lets married couples or those in a civil partnership share their personal tax allowances.

The current personal allowance is £12,570, meaning you can earn this amount a year and not pay any income tax.

You can transfer 10% of your personal allowance, reducing the tax your partner pays by up to £252 a year.

You can also backdate a claim by up to four years, so could get a maximum of £1,256 back, although not all the qualifying years offer the same amount.

How do we know if we are eligible?

To be eligible to claim one of you needs to be earning little enough not to be paying a personal allowance, while the other has to be on the “basic rate” of income tax

The basic rate applies to anyone earning £12,571 to £50,270 a year and is worth 20%.

Both people in the couple have to have been born on or after April 6, 1935, as well.

Four days later we recieved a cheque

Paul – Martin Lewis fan

Plus, you must be married or in a civil partnership.

As an example, if your income is £11,500 your personal allowance is £12,570 so you don’t pay any tax.

If your partner’s income is £20,000 they pay tax on £7,430 which is £20,000 minus the personal allowance.

This means that you could transfer your personal allowance to your partner meaning they would only pay tax on £6,170 and you would effectively be earning £12,760 and have to pay income tax on £190.

Therefore as a couple you would pay less combined income tax and would save £214 overall.

How can I apply?

The easiest way to apply is to fill out a form on the Government’s website.

The lower fee payer or non-taxpayer has to apply, but you do need information for both partners.

You’ll need both your National Insurance numbers and a form of ID for the non-taxpayer.

Alternatively, you can apply through self-assessment or by writing to HMRC.

The requirements you must meet include being a married couple or civil partnership – and being born on or after April 6, 1935.

Whichever way you do 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.

The relief for the current financial year (2023/24) is £252 while it’s the same for 2022/23 and 2021/22.

For 2020/21 and 2019/20 the maximum backdated amount you can get is £250.

Meanwhile, we can reveal five HMRC perks to save £1,000s before the tax year ends this week.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk