'Should married couples get a tax break?' poll discussion

jimmysnail

:eek: What a load of claptrap about the civil, moral and religious contract of marriage. Isn't it just as easy to get divorced as it is to get married??

Come on folks we aren't living in the dark ages - prove your commitment to by your actions not with a meaningless piece of paper. We are.

Shame on Cameron. Isn't taxing everyone individually the only fair way.

gailey_2

Im bit young to remember last time they dod married couples allowance I was 19 at time but clearly remember my boss whinging about it?
what was it last time round? was it using up each others allowance?

But now I can see he issue more clearly as married stay and home of 2 kids under 5 and hubby working fulltime.

When first daughter was year old went back to work fulltime so both me and hubby working full time paying our taxes yet out of £1200 i earned per month net £850 spent on nursury fees, then commuting costs ect.
Under the tax credits system entitled to lowest amount posible £10 a week as we earned too much.

Knew people who were singleparents who got majority of their childcare piaid, housing benefit, reduced council tax, highest level of tax credits and were better off than us earning as a couple finacially as we paid full coucil tax, rent pruvate tenant, full council tax ect.
I have known of people to claim they split just to get more money as the systems unfair that a single parmets be financially better off than 2working parent even though they dont have job and chose to stay at home.

I chose to give up work as wasent worth the stress once petrol, nursury be paid but wasent entitled to anymore tax credits.

so im stay at home mum with just cb with 2kids now.

I dont cost state anything as we dont get any benefits as its means tested as a couple.Would be better off if hubby was unemployed!

If hubby could share my tax allowance we be approx 2half grand better off on typical £30,000 a year salary gross.That would make big difference as we currently struggling.

Agree benefits system needs reforming to create equal playing feild.
so agree married and civil partnerships should be eligable for tax breaks as they working and contributing to economy when some people not all! Are not chosing to not work as lifestyle choice!

I come from singleparent family parents divorced when I was 10 there was no child tax credit then there was income support for the very needy or family allowance which in no way seems as generous as means tested tax credit system is.

I have a freind whos bloke could not get jsa as she worked and was deemed she would support him? that just penalises couples in general.

This is just an observation on people in my life but people whos parents stayed together seemed generaly better as much more stable upbringing.
Also a freind with marriage difficulties has admitted if she were not married she probably would have left by now but wants to make relationship work.

The cost of a wedding could bankrupt you alone!
We did ours reasonably cheaply and was best day of my life we all have same surname been married 6years this year.

We chose to have kids not realising how truly expensive they are but no regrets never a good time as will never be rich but can afford to support them and hopefully have 1more.

As for claim labour ends child poverty im not so sure as they give cash and cant control what the parent spends their money on.

one thing made me chuckle was couple of months ago head of asda made rather negative comment about amount of baby stuff dumped in booze ailse the parents make a choice on whats important to them.

My mum always used to say its hard to spot a council house without a skydish so yes as working married family we made serious cutbacks and do find people on benfits better off.

I have nothing against people in need getting benefits, think oaps should get more as they worked all their lives and struggle on.
Think people who come over to find work, start new life should receive benefits but for limited period like in the states.

Think anyone unable to work due to genuine disability/benefits should get payment but me reguarly assesed incase situation changes or help in maybe finding more suitable work a person who cannot lift ie bad back could do admin ect.

I also think single parents should get all their childcare paid and maybe tax break if they chose to work which would mean they contributing and not in benefits trap they currently find themselves in.

Paul_Herring

jrawle wrote: »

But that money only has to be for couple with children, surely, not just for married people who might never have children.

Erm - no. That's what child benifit and WTC (to a large extent) are for.

trickypockets

I remember when the married tax allowance existed before; I could never understand why the guy opposite me, on the same salary and doing the same job, got more in his pay packet than I did, on top of a second household income from his working wife.

There are tax benefits already for those with children; I don't see why childless married couples should get a tax break.

roddydogs

So how much will the proposed "Marriage Allowance" be worth?

Freddie_Snowbits

I voted yes, and you should get increments each year you remain marrined of £500, from year 7

Lindy-Lou_2

anilah wrote: »

I would humbly suggest
1. Married couple should get a tax break
2. Cohabitation is difficult if not impossible to prove. Giving tax breaks for cohabitation will encourage some (many!) to claim dishonestly. Marriage on the other hand is a legal status and easy to prove.
3. The most important issue is to urge the current government to stop encouraging single parenthood! (Today's news item: 14 year olds will be taught how to be good parents!!)

Anilah you have made some very valid points.

1. I have been married for nearly 20 years and due to my personal circumstances have been unable to work, apart from brief periods, yet on my husband's salary we are still keeping one at uni and the other at college. Plus I care for an elderly gentleman who is heavily dependent on me and he has no local family (if I went back to work I couldn't do it and how much would that cost the Government?). If you don't work as a married mother you are made to feel guilty - I would love to work but logistics/time do not permit. Why should 4 adults be expected to live on one salary without additional tax relief - we are penalised for educating our children - surely this can't be right?

2. Couldn't agree more - if we lived in an ideal world and everybody was honest maybe it would be different!

3. Single parenthood - grrr - why not go back to an earlier way of doing this. Bring back 'Mother and Baby Hostels' (I am sure a nicer name could be found) - these girls would live with females in the same situation and could be taught together how to raise a baby, cook and budget. They would not be isolated, they would be 'educated' in how to deal with situations and it would be a far cheaper option than giving them a flat/home and benefits to pay bills/cost of living. Plus the housing shortage may be reduced as it may not seem nearly as attractive - how many teenagers want to leave home and this can be an easy option without thinking/realising the end result. Hopefully, this would make teenagers think twice about contraception, let's be honest, it is a good 'get out clause' for some of them!!
PS I am not having a go at single teenage parents just being realistic - so do not have a go at me!

wildthing01

these forums really are a hotbed of prejudice and discrimination, aren't they? lots of very negative comments about people in various situations, with no real understanding of how people may have got into that situation in the first place. i don't really understand the tax system, so i don't feel i can comment on that, but i can't bear to keep reading pejorative comments about people.

the world of human relationships is incredibly complex and it is not a simple binary system of married/not married.

there are many reasons a parent may be single e.g. their partner dying/running off with someone else/escaping an abusive relationship etc. they are not all young girls sitting on their bums claiming benefits (and even the ones that are, are in that situation for a reason).

there are many reasons why a couple may or may not choose to marry, or may not be able to marry. there are many permutations of how couples with children manage to bring in money (e.g. one may have to give up work to look after the kids, as childcare so expensive, so they won't necessarily have 2 incomes as many are suggesting, or both may have to work, simply to keep a roof over their heads, and thus have to miss out on spending time with their children).

whatever the case, you really shouldn't pass judgement on people until you know the full ins and outs of why/how they have ended up in that situation in the first place.

IlonaRN

I voted a, but that is assuming that civil partnerships and/or any other registered partnership is counted the same as "marriage".

I firmly believe that if the household is treated as a unit for monies coming in (e.g. benefits), it should also be treated as a unit for monies being paid out (e.g. taxes).

If/when my partner and I have children, it would be better for the unit if his personal allowance could be transferred to me if he wished to stay at home to look after them.

stagey_2

I voted for a tax break for married couples - my pensionable income will only be approx £4600 my husbands will be approx £10500 pa (2010) a joint household income of just over £15k pa - yet he will pay tax - and yet I cannot transfer some of my tax allowance to him to avoid this - I'm pretty sure our income is too high for benefits too - hey ho! Thank goodness I am still working and will continue to do so (i'm 64) but I can see a good argument for those in a similar position - others may not agree of course.