Each person has a tax-free allowance of £12,570 as standard unless you’re a high earner or claim certain other allowances.
If you earn under this amount, you don’t have to pay tax on your income. However, if you earn a lot less than the £12,570 threshold, you won’t use your entire allowance – meaning it effectively goes to waste.
This is where the Marriage Allowance comes in, letting you transfer up to £1,260 of your total Personal Allowance to your spouse or civil partner.
To fully benefit from this allowance, you should be earning less than £12,570 and your partner must earn between £12,571 and £50, 270.
Be careful if you earn only slightly less than your tax-free threshold and your partner earns only slightly above, as this might not benefit how much tax you pay as a couple.
Marriage Allowance applies for each tax year, so make sure you’ve applied before 5 April.