Marriage Allowance

amm1964

Hi, hope someone can clarify something I'm not sure about regarding getting the backdated allowance. I completed my self-assessment last month and clicked on the option to pass my allowance to my wife as I've been a non-taxpayer for the past couple of years. I put in her details and she'll get my allowance from now on. Problem is it didn't (as far as I recall) say anything on the return form about my receiving the previous year's money. Does anyone know if I need to do something to get this or do HMRC automatically look at my past returns and send me a cheque? Sorry if I'm being thick but really don't want to miss out on the possibility of a refund.

Dazed_and_confused

Think you've misunderstood a few things.

As I understand it an application via your self assessment return applies to that tax year only.

If you want it apply for this year (2017:18) you'd have to apply again on your next tax return or apply via gov.uk (and confirm it when you complete your next return). If you apply in the current tax year I think it does then carry on into the next year.

Problem is it didn't (as far as I recall) say anything on the return form about my receiving the previous year's money. Does anyone know if I need to do something to get this or do HMRC automatically look at my past returns and send me a cheque?

You cannot ever get a tax refund by applying for Marriage Allowance, you either pay the same amount of tax or pay more tax but never less. Your spouse is the one who would receive any refund.

If you want to apply for the previous year (2015:16 was the first year Marriage Allowance existed) you would have to contact HMRC to check how you do this, you would normally amend your return but the time limit for doing that has passed however it may be different for marriage allowance??

[Deleted User]

I am trying to ask a question here, but the site is not exactly user- friendly!
My wife and I were both born after 1935. We are both retired. We both recieve a state pension. She also receives a small works pension and I recieve a Forces pension. I am the tax - payer in our current situation. We are thinking of applying for the Marriage Allowance but have concerns as to whether we will gain or lose by this.Please advise.

Dazed_and_confused

There is no "we" with Marriage Allowance.

From what you have said your wife needs to consider her income on a year by year (tax year) basis as by applying she is giving up 10% of her Personal Allowance.

If her total taxable income is less than 90% of the Personal Allowance then she should remain a non tax payer. If she is over that 90% limit then she may become liable to tax but if she had savings or dividend income this may be taxed at a special 0% tax rate so it may still be worth applying.

Each year needs to be looked at separately as her income (for the years Marriage Allowance applies to) may have fluctuated. It is surprising how quickly things get forgotten a year or two after the event!

If she applies you get an amount knocked off your tax bill. In the first year of Marriage Allowance (2015:16) this was worth £212 and it is worth £23 this tax year. You only get the full benefit if you paid that much tax.

If you post a single years figures the benefit of her applying can be checked.

enthusiasticsaver

No questions from me but I just want to say how impressed I was how easy it was to claim the married allowance. Both DH and I are now retired and only income are our DB pensions which we have both taken early. We have 6 and 8 years until spa for both of us.

My DH receives a pension of £23600 so is a basic rate tax payer now. I receive around £4800 as a pension but worked until December but calculated my earnings/pension combined would be around £10200 for 2017/2018. I just registered on government gateway site and went through the online calculation and claimed the marriage allowance for 2017/2018 going forward. It took about 10 minutes including the registering on the site. I also managed to check my state pension at the same time. I think HMRC get a real knocking sometimes but on this occasion it surprised me with how efficient the process was.

MothballsWallet

MothballsWallet wrote: »

Thank you, sheramber! You're awesome!

That'll save Mrs MbW from having to worry about using the HMRC website from where she is.

Unfortunately, sheramber's link is for the Married Couples Allowance (MCA) and not the Marriage Allowance (MA)

According to the HMRC helpline, there is no paper form for MA, only online

Dazed_and_confused

Or telephone. Pretty sure other posters earlier in this thread (and others) have phoned HMRC to make an application.

Blush2783

Hi, I finally got round to applying online to transfer my marriage tax allowance to my husband in December. Got the confirmation email from HMRC that i had applied and left it. Last month I thought it was 2 months since Id applied and we'd heard nothing so I looked up my online account and found no mention of my application on the system so I decided to call them. It went through to the automatic voice questions and asked what my NI number was, I said what it was several times and then it transferred me to an actual person who said they couldn't log into my account and someone would call me back within 3 days.

Got a call back, explained the issue and he looked it up and said he could see that I had applied but nothing had been done yet and it had no record of me applying for past years (I had a confirmation email). He said he would generate it on the phone and my husband would get his revised tax code etc but if nothing happened to call back in 10 days. That was yesterday and once again we've heard nothing.

I've just called yet again and today's 'fun' was being told by the woman in their call centre that I was giving her the wrong NI number as its not on their system. I was not. Its the same number on the plastic card I'd been sent at 16 years old that I've used ever since and I even had my HMRC online account up in front of me with it up on the screen! She said she couldn't help me until I gave her the correct number so I said to her that she would have to get someone who could to speak to me to sort it out. After speaking to someone in her office she then said I would get a call back within 3 days.

I cant believe that when they want money from you they are very efficient but in order to get a rebate they have so far taken 3 months and we are still none the wiser.:mad:

Consumerist

Blush2783 wrote: »

. . . I've just called yet again and today's 'fun' was being told by the woman in their call centre that I was giving her the wrong NI number as its not on their system. . .

You could have a look on, preferably your latest, PAYE Coding Notice from HMRC to confirm that they have the correct NI Number for you.

polymaff

. . . . or ask if they'll accept your UTR instead.

It worked for me when my half-century-old NIN was unrecognised :rotfl: