We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Lump sum from main property sale and husband/wife gift

We recently sold our main family home. We have no other properties, and are now renting.
The property was originally purchased by my wife, but we lived together there for several years.
We plan to buy a savings bond or similar to earn some income while we rent and plan our next move.
The question is how income from this bond will be taxed (it will approach 10,000 p.a.). My wife pays income tax at 40%, I pay at 20%. I understand that gifts between spouses do not attract tax. Is it acceptable therefore for her to transfer that lump sum to me, I invest in the savings product and I pay tax on the savings income at 20%?
Grateful for any advice.

Comments

  • 00ec25
    00ec25 Posts: 9,123 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    when asking about tax it is vital you are precise in your details

    "we" did not sell anything.
    Your wife sold the house owned by her alone. All monies received belong to her for tax purposes

    you and she are married to each other. Therefore, she can perfectly legally gift to you any amount of money she wants to without any tax implications whatsoever on either her or you

    if you then purchase an income bond, if that bond is in your sole name, (NOT joint names) then yes, you and you alone will be liable for any tax due on the interest received on that account. There is no "our" bond in that case :)
    You may wish to consider what would happen to the bond if you die - how would she access it easily if needs be? Check the T&Cs of the bond for a death clause.
  • Thank you - that is a helpful response
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.4K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.3K Life & Family
  • 258.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.