Do you support the married couples tax break?

h15t0r1an

Single people get ripped off for everything already. They pay more for holidays and get worse hotel rooms even though they get charged more person than couples travelling. They can't bulk buy to achieve discounts because they'd never get through the amount of many products that families can benefit from buying.

This is about as meaningful as Red Ed's promise to freeze energy prices.

Why not try and give a meaningful incentive in some other way to stable couples who bring up children.

Ultrasonic

It is reasonable for a government to offer tax incentives to encourage behaviour that it believes is good for the country (e.g. renewable energy schemes), but to apply this to marriage makes no sense. I don't really believe that a tax saving would make a couple get married when they otherwise wouldn't, but if they did this would clearly defeat the whole point. Marriage is a good thing where it is a long term committment between a couple, not where it is a decision made to save money. Plus of course it is perfectly possible for couples to make long term committments to each other without ever getting married.

Tax breaks for people with children, YES. Tax breaks for married couples, NO.

gayleygoo

I am not married but have been with my OH for many years and we have children, we've never seen why being married would make us "more committed" to each other. I have always thought marriage was a religious thing, why should people be financially rewarded for practicing outdated social ceremonies? Don't get me wrong, I do love a good wedding but tax breaks? Anyway, the cost of a wedding (and possibly a divorce in following years) probably outstrips most tax benefits.

So, I'm not married, and don't work, but on my Tax Credits form it says I am treated "as being married" for the purposes of the tax credits. I don't get any benefit from that, if I wanted to get a job or apply for certain training courses etc, I can't because despite having no income, my OH is expected to provide for me!

hogger84

I dont see why people dont see that if people want to they can treat "marrige" as A "buisnesss meger" they can.

All you need to do is go down to the registry office and say "for now this other person has finicial interests with me" this gives you a few extra inheritance tax rights, makes a difference if you die without a will and also makes some next of kin details. Os all you are doing is stating that this is a person you trust to take on all the aspects.

I would actually prefer you had to do this than the "common law partner" that can happen if you happen to live with someone for x years.

Marrige does not have to mean making a "life long comitment" or "one special day". It should just be allowed to show you trust someone to give them legal powers.

As such I think I support certain tax measures in this case. I would prefer to be able to pay my wife to be a childminder than someone else for example. but only if it is external to the family can I get a tax break.

WelshGandalf

Reading a lot of these posts it's obvious some people have read no further than "married couple's allowance" and formed an opinion on the basis of those 3 words. It's really depressing. People really should read up on a topic a little before forming an opinion on it!

superflygal

Good idea, About time married people get something back. Until now it has been the unmarried with children and casual partners who have gained most and have been encouraged to do so from the (Labour) government.

At least Mr Cameron is looking to improve standards for the average person and reward marriage and maintain proper, secure family units!
:j
SFG x

Ultrasonic

hogger84 wrote: »

I dont see why people dont see that if people want to they can treat "marrige" as A "buisnesss meger" they can.

I have no particular objection to that, what I object to is the government giving tax breaks to encourage it as such. There is no benefit to the country of them doing so.

Ultrasonic

WelshGandalf wrote: »

Reading a lot of these posts it's obvious some people have read no further than "married couple's allowance" and formed an opinion on the basis of those 3 words.

The rest isn't relevant. (I did read it.)

No, not all married couples will benefit from this policy, but only married people are eligible, and so this is the only criterion on which the policy should be judged.

GwylimT

No I don't agree with it, you don't get married to save a few quid. Any tax you pay, benefits you receive etc should have nothing to do with your marital status, the only thing that should be taken into account is your household income.

poppet17

This is very true, and it should be brought back in, that way woman could stay at home to look after the children and it would free up more jobs for all those unemployed people who have families to support and want to work but can't get employment, and nursery places for those who do want to work. However, I should add I am not against a two income household but there are families out there where one of the adults need or want to be at home.