Martin Lewis warns 4 million married Brits, you could be eligible for £1,260 from HMRC

There are pros and cons to being married — on the one hand there’s love and companionship, on the other, 42% end in a divorce, which costs an average of £14,561.

But, Martin Lewis has reminded Brits of one very big perk of getting hitched: the marriage tax allowance.

If you’re under 89 years old and have a spouse, there’s a chance you’re entitled to marriage tax allowance, but the Money Saving Expert says that a staggering two million eligible couples don’t currently claim it – that’s four million people out of pocket.

If you’re owed the cash, you can even get it back paid, meaning you could get a cheque for up to £1,260.

Martin also adds that now is the perfect time to get the money, saying that while it ‘isn’t traditional Christmas fare’ ’tis the season for spending, and a cash injection could be particularly useful right now.

What is marriage tax allowance?

Simply put, marriage tax allowance means , if they earn more than you.

Your personal allowance is the money that you can earn tax-free each year – and the standard amount is up to £12,570.

This includes money coming from salaries or pensions, meaning you can still qualify if you’ve retired.

Basically, you can earn more tax-free money as a couple.

How to qualify for marriage tax allowance

Being married isn’t enough for you to qualify for this tax-free cash, unfortunately you’ll have to tick some other boxes in order to claim the money.

Essentially, one of you needs to be paying tax, and the other can’t be paying tax.

For the non-taxpayer, they’ll earn less than the £12,570 we mentioned earlier, from the year period of April 6, 2024 to April 5, 2025.

In order to qualify for the full £1,260 amount, they’ll need to earn £11,310 or less.

The other partner who does pay tax will need to be a basic 20% rate taxpayer, which is the case for the average earner in the UK.

That partner will have to have an income of less than £50,270 a year or £43,662 if you live in Scotland.

Lastly, you both have to have been born on, or after, April 6, 1935.

What is Martin Lewis saying?

Our trusty Martin has also pointed out a potential pitfall of the marriage tax allowance – so think twice before claiming.

If you’re close to the non-taxed limit, think between £11,310 and £12,570, there’s a possibility you won’t actually reap the rewards of this tax claim.

Alarmingly, you could actually end up out of pocket. Why? Well the loss of income from the non-taxpayer could outweigh the gain made by the tax-paying partner.

Applying for the tax break could also prompt HMRC to look at your tax position and, if you’re in the wrong bracket, as millions are according to Martin, then your tax could increase.

How to apply for marriage tax allowance

You can use the application on the HMRC website, and you’ll need both your national insurance numbers and two forms of ID for the non-taxpayer.

You can only claim for the years you have met the criteria, and each year the maximum payment is £252. You can get the full £1,250 if you backdate your claim for the past four years.

You don’t need to apply for each year, as it’ll start on a rolling basis once you’ve applied.

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