Marriage Allowance Calculator
Check whether you and your spouse or civil partner could save tax by transferring part of the lower earner's Personal Allowance. The calculator estimates the current-year saving, shows when the saving is reduced, and flags common cases where Marriage Allowance is not the right claim.
Check your Marriage Allowance saving
Enter annual taxable income before Marriage Allowance is applied.
The person transferring part of their allowance.
The person receiving the allowance transfer.
Transfer amount
GBP 1,260
The lower earner gives up this fixed slice of their Personal Allowance.
Maximum saving
GBP 252
The recipient gets a 20% tax reducer, capped by their tax bill.
Who claims
Lower earner
The person giving up allowance normally applies through GOV.UK or Self Assessment.
What Marriage Allowance does
Marriage Allowance is for married couples and civil partners where one person has spare Personal Allowance and the other pays tax at an eligible rate. Instead of the unused allowance simply doing nothing, the lower earner can transfer GBP 1,260 to their spouse or civil partner.
The receiving partner does not usually receive GBP 1,260 as cash. Their tax bill is reduced by 20% of the transferred allowance, so the current maximum saving is GBP 252 for the tax year. The final couple saving can be lower if the recipient does not have enough tax to reduce, or if the lower earner becomes taxable after giving up part of their allowance.
This is why the calculator focuses on the couple's net saving rather than just repeating the headline number. A partner earning GBP 10,000 and transferring allowance to someone earning GBP 32,000 will usually get the full benefit. A partner earning GBP 12,300 may still be eligible, but some of the saving is lost because their own tax-free allowance falls.
| Transferor allowance after claim | GBP 11,310 |
|---|---|
| Transferred allowance | GBP 1,260 |
| Tax reducer | 20% of transfer |
Who is eligible?
You must be married or civil partners
Living together is not enough, even if you share rent, bills, childcare, and everything else.
The lower earner usually needs income below GBP 12,570
The calculator warns you if the transferor appears to be above the standard Personal Allowance.
The recipient must be within the eligible tax band
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland this normally means basic-rate tax, up to GBP 50,270.
Scotland has a different upper limit
A Scottish recipient can qualify at starter, basic or intermediate rate, usually up to GBP 43,662.
If one partner was born before 6 April 1935, check Married Couple's Allowance before applying. It is a separate relief and may be more valuable. GOV.UK is clear that you cannot get Marriage Allowance and Married Couple's Allowance at the same time.
How this calculator works
Inputs used
- Tax year selected by the user.
- Lower earner taxable income before transferring any allowance.
- Higher earner taxable income before receiving Marriage Allowance.
- Whether the receiving partner is taxed in Scotland or in the rest of the UK.
- Relationship and Married Couple's Allowance warning status.
Calculation method
- Check that the couple is married or in a civil partnership.
- Check that the lower earner is not above the standard GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance.
- Check that the receiving partner is above the Personal Allowance but not above the basic-rate or Scottish intermediate-rate eligibility limit.
- Apply the GBP 1,260 transfer and estimate the receiving partner tax reduction at 20%, capped at GBP 252.
- Estimate any extra tax for the lower earner if their reduced allowance creates taxable income.
- Show the couple's estimated net saving after both sides of the transfer.
Assumptions
- The calculator assumes the standard Personal Allowance of GBP 12,570.
- It does not model tax codes, Blind Person's Allowance, pension relief, Gift Aid, dividends, savings or benefits in kind.
- The Marriage Allowance reducer is treated as 20% of the transferred amount, capped at the recipient's tax bill.
What this does not cover
- It does not decide whether a backdated claim will be accepted by HMRC. Check the official Marriage Allowance application guidance before relying on a backdated amount.
- It does not calculate Married Couple's Allowance for couples where one partner was born before 6 April 1935.
- It does not replace HMRC, payroll software, Self Assessment or professional advice. Use the Take-Home Pay Calculator for wider PAYE-style net pay checks.
How to use this calculator
Choose the tax year first. Use 2026/27 for the current year, or pick an earlier year if you are checking whether a backdated claim is worth looking into. The calculator goes back to 2022/23 because Marriage Allowance can normally be backdated for up to four tax years.
Enter each person's taxable income before Marriage Allowance. For many employees this is close to annual pay, but taxable income can change if you have benefits, savings, dividends, pension adjustments, or a Self Assessment return. Then choose Scotland if the receiving partner is a Scottish taxpayer.
The result shows whether the couple looks eligible, the recipient's tax reduction, any extra tax for the lower earner, and the estimated net couple saving. That final net saving is the important number.
Worked example
Say Priya earns GBP 11,500 and her civil partner earns GBP 30,000 in 2026/27. Priya is below the GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance, so she can transfer GBP 1,260 of allowance.
Her allowance becomes GBP 11,310, which means GBP 190 of her income is now taxable. Her partner gets the full GBP 252 tax reduction. After Priya's small extra tax cost, the couple's net saving is about GBP 214.
If Priya earned GBP 10,000 instead, there would usually be no extra tax for her after the transfer, so the couple would normally get the full GBP 252.
Backdating, tax codes and when to cancel
Backdating
GOV.UK says claims can normally be backdated for eligible earlier years. Check the latest GOV.UK application page before relying on a backdated amount.
Tax codes
The recipient's tax code may end in M. The person transferring allowance may receive an N code.
Changing circumstances
If income rises, a relationship ends, or the claim no longer helps, check whether it should be cancelled.
Common mistakes
Assuming living together counts
It does not. Marriage Allowance is only for married couples and civil partners.
Ignoring Scotland
A Scottish recipient can qualify at starter, basic or intermediate rates, but not once they pay higher, advanced or top rates.
Forgetting the lower earner's extra tax
If the lower earner is close to GBP 12,570, giving up GBP 1,260 can create some tax for them.
Using a claim company unnecessarily
You can apply through GOV.UK. Be careful with third-party services that charge a fee for a free HMRC process.
Marriage Allowance FAQs
Can unmarried couples claim Marriage Allowance?
Is the saving always GBP 252?
Can Scottish taxpayers claim?
Who should apply?
What if one partner was born before 6 April 1935?
Official sources
Last verified: May 8 2026. Calculations are estimates based on the published rules and assumptions shown on this page.
- GOV.UK Marriage Allowance - how it works - eligibility, GBP 1,260 transfer, GBP 252 maximum saving, Scotland rule, backdating and cancellation notes
- GOV.UK Marriage Allowance - how to apply - application route, Self Assessment handling, M and N tax code changes
- GOV.UK rates and allowances annex - 2025/26 and 2026/27 Marriage Allowance amounts
- GOV.UK Scottish Income Tax - Scottish 2026/27 income tax bands and starter/basic/intermediate threshold
- Low Incomes Tax Reform Group - Marriage Allowance and Scottish taxpayers - credible explanation that the Marriage Allowance tax reducer is 20% even for Scottish intermediate-rate taxpayers