Tax on partner's contribution to mortgage?

gj87

Hello everyone.
Just looking for a bit of advice.

I bought a flat in April this year. My partner and I areliving together in it, splitting the bills and cost of living in it. Wehave a bills account, in my name rather than jointly, where most of thehousehold accounts are paid from. It's pretty much the same set up as when we rented together on a joint tenency. I didn’t want to start a join accountbecause of my partner’s financial history. However, I have responsibility forthe furniture, carpets, upkeep of the building, boiler etc as I am the ‘owner’.We agreed this as part of our discussions on how to continue the property as ‘mine’rather than ‘ours’ as we realise there can be issues should we separate. Iunderstand what the complications and issues should be – just giving you thisextra information as background.

I am a bit concerned that I may have inadvertently becomehis landlady and therefore may have to pay tax on the money he is giving metowards the bills – if I were the resident landllady of a lodger then this wouldcount as income.

I’ve had a look on the HMRC website and I don’t think that therent-a-room scheme applies to us, as we share a bedroom.
Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction as to whether I need to declare it as income or if it's just a couple transferring money between them to do with as they please? If we were married I don't think I'd be his landlady - but as we're not, I don't know if it's different. I havedebated trying to ring up HMRC to double check but I can’t actually work outwhich department this would fall under!

Thanks

HappyMJ

No tax due...complex in theory but it'd a voluntary payment towards the bills. If he didn't pay you can't enforce anything against him but you would still let him stay.

You aren't his landlady you are his partner.

gj87

Thank you! That's what I thought but wanted to double check!

agrinnall

Apart from in the title you haven't specifically said that your partner is contributing to the mortgage. If he is then in some respects the property is owned by both of you, so it's not 'mine', and if your relationship ends he may have a claim on part of the equity. If this is what you expect that's fine, but there have been posts on here where people have been caught out by it.