If you or your partner popped that all-important question on ‘the most romantic day of the year’ then there could be an extra special gift in store for you.

That’s the message from our Tax Manager, Martyn Bramwell.

“Valentine’s Day is always a popular choice when it comes to a romantic surprise, and an added bonus that many people may not know is that married couples – or those in a civil partnership – could save up to £252 a year by claiming Marriage Allowance.

“So, if your partner said ‘yes’, it’s good news all round!”

Martyn said that more than 2.1 million couples currently benefited from Marriage Allowance, but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed that thousands more couples were missing out.

“Many couples don’t realise they may be eligible, particularly in couples where one partner has retired, or one has given up work to care for someone in their family, or if they’re unable to work due to a long-term health condition.”

Under the Marriage Allowance rules, customers earning less than £12,570 a year can transfer up to £1,260 of their Personal Allowance to their higher-earning partner, and so reduce the amount of tax they pay.

“You can also backdate a claim to include any tax year up to 6 April 2018 – so that could be worth as much as £1,242 in tax relief,” said Martyn.

HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary Angela MacDonald said they wanted every eligible couple to benefit from Marriage Allowance tax relief.

“If your circumstances have changed – maybe one of you has stopped working or taken on a lower paid job – it’s vital that you check if you are entitled to claim.”

HMRC said couples should search for the Marriage Allowance calculator on www.gov.uk to assess their eligibility and go directly through the Government site – rather than a through a third party – this would mean the couple would be able to keep 100% of the tax relief due.

Couples could benefit from the allowance if they meet the required criteria:

• They must be married or in a civil partnership
• They do not pay income tax, or their income is below the Personal Allowance of £12,570
• One partner must pay income tax at the basic rate – typically with an income between £12,571 and £50,270

Martyn said: “It’s important that couples keep HMRC informed if their circumstances change because if they no longer meet the criteria, Marriage Allowance can be cancelled.

“Couples should also go to www.gov.uk to search ‘Help for Households’ to see if other Government support may be available depending on their individual circumstances.”

DY’s Tax Manager, Martyn Bramwell