How Can You Avoid Marriage Tax Allowance Scams?
By
HuutiMoney
Thousands of couples have fallen victim to Marriage Tax Allowance scams. If you are worried about how to avoid them, you will detailed guidance in the following blog post. We will discuss the key watch-outs for a claims scam as well as how to proceed with your Marriage Tax Allowance claim directly through the HMRC>
How Can You Avoid Marriage Tax Allowance Scams?
You can simply avoid Marriage Tax Allowance scams by keeping just two facts in mind:
- you don’t need an advisor, consultant or any third party to help you avail of a Marriage Tax Allowance. Individuals who are eligible for Marriage Tax Allowance can apply for the allowance directly through the UK Government’s official website.
- there is no fee attached to availing of Marriage Tax Allowance; therefore, claimants are not expected to make any payments at all.
There have been a series of scams recently where couples were contacted by scammers through emails; claiming to be able to help them claim Marriage Tax Allowance and asking for a fee against their services.
Many people across the UK fell victim to such scams and ended up paying all or part of the amount that the scammers claimed they could help them claim from the Government.
If and when one receives any form of communication in which a third party claims to be able to help them attain some form of benefit from the Government against a fee, one should be wary of such people as in nearly all such cases, these are scammers. The easiest way to check the authenticity of any such correspondence is by:
- calling the HMRC to inquire about the details and ask them for a list of approved third parties
- checking the HMRC website or the internet for information regarding potential scams
Then, there have been cases where individuals have been contacted through emails or found certain internet pop up while browsing which leads them to a website that offers to help them claim Marriage Tax Allowance from the HMRC. A lot of times, these websites don’t mention a pricing structure and do not ask for an upfront payment. Website visitors may think that since there is no fee involved, these could be authentic financial consultants.
However, such is not the case. There have been varied instances when such websites have offered services without asking for a fee but it is hidden in their terms and conditions. Once you click on the “accept” checkbox and sign a document (whether digitally or in ink), you agree to pay a certain fee for their services.
Sometimes, you don’t even need to enter your bank details and the website owners can steal your identity using your name and personal details. Therefore, one needs to be mindful of such scammers as well; even if there is no formal ask for a fee.
Is Marriage Tax Allowance Limited An Authentic Company?
While Marriage Tax Allowance Limited operated (voluntarily liquidated now) as a claims management company, its mode of operations included retaining 42% of the Marriage Tax Allowance they would help you claim from the HMRC (this included some backdated claims for previous years as well).
The tone of their communication and even the font and style used by them during correspondence with individuals left the impression that they were affiliated with the HMRC.
This goes against the very basis of how Marriage Tax Allowance should be claimed; which does not make the company’s intentions or mode of operations appear authentic.
They were successful in targeting individuals through social media advertisements and were indeed helping them fill out the relevant forms and guiding them through the claims process for Marriage Tax Allowance.
However, the fee that they charged was unfair against information and claims that are available for free through the HMRC directly.
How Do You Claim Marriage Tax Allowance From The HMRC?
Before claiming Marriage Tax Allowance from the HMRC, you should first check if you meet the eligibility criteria. This includes the following:
- married or in a civil partnership
- born after 5 April 1935 (if either one of the partners/spouses is born before this date, they should claim the Married Couple’s Allowance)
- one partner’s salary should be below the Personal Allowance (this is £12,570 for 2022-23); while the other partner should be earning more than the Personal Allowance and paying the basic rate of income tax at 20%
Then, you can follow the below-listed steps to apply for Marriage Tax Allowance:
- You can apply online, through your self-assessment tax returns or by writing to HMRC at Pay As You Earn and Self Assessment, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AS, United Kingdom.
- You will need your’s and your partner’s National Insurance numbers and one way to verify your identity; such as by using a P60 form, information from three most recent payslips, passport number and expiry date, using the last four digits of a bank account in which benefits such as Child Benefit, Tax Credits or your pension is paid into, or the last four digits of an account from which you earn interest.
- You need to answer six simple questions through the eligibility checker to confirm whether or not you’re eligible to apply.
- Next, you need to sign in to your Government Gateway account to answer the remaining questions.
- Once your application is complete, HMRC will send you an email of confirmation.
Conclusion:
The above discussion brings us to the conclusion that the best way to avoid a Mariage Tax Allowance scam is not to trust third parties claiming to help you get a refund and claim your allowance directly through the HMRC.
References:
Which? sounds marriage tax allowance copycat website warning – Which? News
Don’t fall for the conmen trying to take money due to you | radiotimesmoney