BBC Budget calculator - marriage = £20

liviboy

Hi guys,

Just a quick one...if you head over the BBC budget calculator (http://www.bbc.co.uk/budget) there's a weird thing happens.

As soon as you select you are married it states I will be £20 better off in 2013/14

Now, I thought that marriage had nothing to do with HMRC unless I e partner was born before 1935 or something...

I've been married a year but not told HMRC as I thought there was no need/point/benefit

Is this just a fault with the BBC calculator or am I missing something?

liviboy

Bit disappointed...160 views and yet nobody replied with their thoughts/opinions...

CLAPTON

OK

I changed my details from single to married and it made no difference

what do you think about that?

chrisbur

liviboy wrote: »

Bit disappointed...160 views and yet nobody replied with their thoughts/opinions...

Tried it a few times and this did not happen to my figures, so perhaps a glitch that was spotted early?

liviboy

CLAPTON wrote: »

OK

I changed my details from single to married and it made no difference

what do you think about that?

Then I think you're talking nonsense haha!

Just tried it myself

Put in NO INFO for cigarettes, alcohol etc on first page

Second page select Male, 25 years old, 35 hours a week and Married and at the top it will say £20 better off!

chrisbur

When I tried it I did not put in hours high enough, if you go to the end the list tells you that the £20 is for tax credits, it is triggered by selecting married and hours of 30 or more.

liviboy

chrisbur wrote: »

When I tried it I did not put in hours high enough, if you go to the end the list tells you that the £20 is for tax credits, it is triggered by selecting married and hours of 30 or more.

Yes but what tax credits would a 25 y/o with salary of £27.5k be entitled to?

It's obviously just a fault with the algorithm but at least you've found it on the BBC!

chrisbur

liviboy wrote: »

Yes but what tax credits would a 25 y/o with salary of £27.5k be entitled to?

It's obviously just a fault with the algorithm but at least you've found it on the BBC!

None. If you follow through to the end again once the salary is put in if it is to high for tax credits then they are removed. It is just the way it is set up the tax credit shows and is removed if a latter screen shows it does not apply.

liviboy

chrisbur wrote: »

None. If you follow through to the end again once the salary is put in if it is to high for tax credits then they are removed. It is just the way it is set up the tax credit shows and is removed if a latter screen shows it does not apply.

Thanks...it's just a bit of a weird setup they have!

Thanks for following it up though, unlike CLAPTON who just wanted to put me down!

CLAPTON

liviboy wrote: »

Thanks...it's just a bit of a weird setup they have!

Thanks for following it up though, unlike CLAPTON who just wanted to put me down!

I put in figures and I reported what I found.

There was NO difference when I changed from single to married as has subsquently been verified.

liviboy

CLAPTON wrote: »

I put in figures and I reported what I found.

There was NO difference when I changed from single to married as has subsquently been verified.

I felt the tone of your post was quite harsh when I first read it, subsequently I might have mis-read this tone!

It basically read to me that you thought I was being a complete idiot and what did I think of that?

My original post is still a valid post, the calculator makes an inaccurate calculation initially...the fact that your particular figures then take this away is really neither here nor there, I have demonstrated where the calculator makes this mistake ( albeit I agree with you and others that it corrects itself)