HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued an urgent call to married couples and civil partners aged 60+, urging them to claim unused Marriage Allowance worth over £3,000 before the April 2025 deadline. Shockingly, an estimated 2.1 million eligible couples have yet to apply for this little-known tax break.
What Is Marriage Allowance?
The scheme allows lower-earning partners to transfer £1,260 of their Personal Allowance to their spouse or civil partner annually, potentially saving £252 in tax per year. Claims can be backdated four years, meaning a total of £1,256 could be reclaimed now.
Who Qualifies?
- You must be married or in a civil partnership
- One partner earns under £12,570 (2024-25 threshold)
- The higher earner pays basic-rate Income Tax (earning £12,571-£50,270)
- Both partners must have been born after 6 April 1935
How to Claim
Applications take just 10 minutes via HMRC's online portal. Successful claims typically see refunds processed within two weeks. Angela MacDonald, HMRC's Deputy Chief Executive, stressed: "This isn't automatic - couples must apply to benefit."
Deadline Alert
While no fixed cut-off exists, HMRC confirms all claims for the 2019-20 tax year must be submitted by 5 April 2025 under the four-year backdating rule.
