Registration for new married couples tax break opens

Registration for new married couples tax break opens

The government has today opened registration for the new Marriage Allowance, a tax break for married couples, helping them save up to £212 a year.

From 6 April 2015, more than four million married couples and 15,000 civil partnerships will be eligible for the tax break.

The allowance means a spouse or civil partner who doesn’t pay tax, or doesn’t pay tax above the basic rate of income tax, can transfer up to £1,060 of their personal tax-free allowance to a spouse or civil partner – as long as the recipient of the transfer doesn’t pay more than the basic rate of income tax.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “We made a promise to introduce a recognition of marriage into our tax system – and now we’re delivering on that promise.

“This includes updating the tax system so that it recognises marriage and civil partnerships.

“Our new Marriage Allowance means saving £212 on your tax bill couldn’t be simpler or more straightforward.”

From April, HMRC will contact those who have already registered for the Marriage Allowance to apply. People can register at any point in the tax year and still receive the full benefit of the allowance.

Applying online simple. One person in a couple will apply online to transfer the allowance to their spouse or civil partner, and HMRC will tell the recipient about the change to their Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax code.

Couples can register their interest at:

www.gov.uk/marriageallowance