How it works
Marriage Allowance lets the lower earner transfer £1,260 of their tax-free Personal Allowance to their husband, wife or civil partner.
Since the higher earner would normally pay 20% tax on
that £1,260, transferring it saves them:
£1,260 × 20% = £252 / year
Strict Eligibility Rules
- 1 You must be married or in a civil partnership. Living together doesn't count.
- 2 One earns UNDER £12,570. This is the Personal Allowance threshold (2024/25).
- 3 Other earns between £12,571 - £50,270. They must be a basic rate taxpayer.
The "Backdating" Bonus
This is the big one. You can backdate your claim for up to 4 previous tax years. If you were eligible in all of them, you could receive a cheque for over £1,000.
How to claim
Do NOT pay a third-party company to do this. They will take a cut (sometimes 40%). Qualifying is free and takes 5 minutes on the official GOV.UK site.
Apply officially on GOV.UK