Marriage Allowance Calculator
Check Marriage Allowance eligibility and calculate the couple's net tax saving from transferring £1,260 of Personal Allowance, including backdating up to 4 years.
Data verified · July 2026
Who can claim Marriage Allowance?
Married couples and civil partners where the lower earner's income is below the £12,570 Personal Allowance and the higher earner pays basic-rate tax (income up to £50,270 rUK, £43,662 in Scotland).
Source: HMRC — Marriage Allowance (gov.uk/marriage-allowance); gov.uk/income-tax-rates; gov.uk/scottish-income-tax. · updated 2026
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Everything about Marriage Allowance Calculator
📋Overview+
Transfers £1,260 of the lower earner's Personal Allowance to their spouse or civil partner (2025/26), worth up to £252 a year as a tax reducer. The calculator nets off any extra tax the transferor pays when their income sits above the reduced allowance of £11,310.
💡 Best practices
- The claim is worthwhile even if the transferor earns slightly above £11,310 — the calculator nets the two effects.
- Backdating to earlier tax years can add roughly £252 per year claimed.
- The recipient must be a basic-rate taxpayer: income up to £50,270 (rUK) or £43,662 (Scotland).
🔢 Concrete example
Transferor earns £12,000, recipient £30,000 (rUK): the recipient saves £252 but the transferor pays 20% on £690 above the reduced allowance (£138) — net couple saving £114/yr.
📖User guide+
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter the lower earner's (transferor) income.
- 2
Enter the recipient partner's income.
- 3
Select Scottish taxpayer if the recipient pays Scottish rates.
- 4
Add backdated years (up to 4) if you never claimed before.
- 5
Read the net annual saving and total benefit.
📚Glossary+
- Transferable amount
- Fixed at £1,260 — 10% of the £12,570 Personal Allowance, rounded up to the nearest £10. You cannot transfer more or less.
- Tax reducer
- The recipient's Income Tax is reduced by 20% of £1,260 (£252), limited to the tax they actually owe.
ℹ️Sources & updates+
Last data update
July 5, 2026
Sources and references
HMRC — Marriage Allowance (gov.uk/marriage-allowance); gov.uk/income-tax-rates; gov.uk/scottish-income-tax.
The data in this calculator is updated regularly to reflect the latest official rates. When in doubt, consult the official sources listed above.
FAQ — Marriage Allowance Calculator
Who can claim Marriage Allowance?+
Married couples and civil partners where the lower earner's income is below the £12,570 Personal Allowance and the higher earner pays basic-rate tax (income up to £50,270 rUK, £43,662 in Scotland).
How much is Marriage Allowance worth?+
Up to £252 per tax year (20% of the £1,260 transferred allowance). Backdating up to 4 tax years can be worth around £1,000 in total.
What if the lower earner is close to the allowance?+
The transferor's own allowance drops to £11,310, so income between £11,310 and £12,570 becomes taxable at 20% — the couple still gains as long as this extra tax stays below £252.