Claiming child benefit guide discussion area

Wibble007

I have to repay the full amount, my tax code is altered accordingly but seems like its altered by too much, is there a tax code calculator or something like that? My tax code is 689L and my wife receives £2251.00 child benefit. As my tax code should be 1257L, I would have thought it would be altered to 1032L?

Cobbler_tone

Wibble007 said:

I have to repay the full amount, my tax code is altered accordingly but seems like its altered by too much, is there a tax code calculator or something like that? My tax code is 689L and my wife receives £2251.00 child benefit. As my tax code should be 1257L, I would have thought it would be altered to 1032L?

No, it is the net amount you need to pay back via your tax code. Your assumption is that the tax code is reduced by £2,251, so at 20% you'd be paying back £450. i.e. the extra tax collected between 1257L and 1032L. By my rough calculations at 689L you are paying back around £1,136 of the £2,251. I'm assuming that you are not over the threshold to lose it all. 

Exodi

Is it possible for two married people living together with two children, to each claim for a different child - e.g. Mum claims for one child and Dad claims for the other?

For those curious, this isn't to hope they both get paid at the higher first child rate (I know they wouldn't) but for the same reason that mothers used to be told to generally claim it - to also protect the dad from the potential impact from a gap in employment on their national insurance record. It also has a secondary benefit whereby I believe that in the event of a breakup, even in an equal care arrangement, maintenance may be due to the person who just happened to register for child benefit.

I did some cursory searching and couldn't find anyone really talk about it.

Is there any relevance to the free hour hours or the Tax-Free Childcare scheme?? E.g. does the person that claims child benefit have to be the one that claims for the free hours or tax-free childcare scheme? 

sheramber

You and your partner can claim for different children. If you live together, only one of you can claim at the higher rate, for the eldest child in the household. If you both claim at the higher rate, you may have to pay back some of the money.

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

Tax free childcare  is not linked  to child  benefit.