Overview
- On Friday, May 29, 2026, national coverage and HMRC reminders encouraged married couples and civil partners to check eligibility for the marriage allowance to secure immediate and past-year savings.
- The scheme lets the lower‑earning spouse transfer up to £1,260 of their tax-free personal allowance to their partner, which can cut the recipient’s income tax by as much as £252 in a tax year.
- To qualify one partner must earn below the personal allowance threshold of £12,570 and the other must be a basic‑rate taxpayer earning up to £50,270; higher‑rate taxpayers are not eligible.
- Couples can backdate claims for up to four tax years to reclaim missed payments, current‑year savings are applied by changing the higher earner’s tax code and historical refunds are usually sent by cheque.
- Claiming can change household finances and long‑term planning because married couples and civil partners also get other tax and legal benefits not available to unmarried cohabitants, and the government provides an online calculator to estimate savings.