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Written question asked by David Burrowes (Conservative) on Friday, 17 February 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 February 2017 (named day). It was answered by Jane Ellison (Conservative) on Wednesday, 22 February 2017 on behalf of the Treasury.

Married People: Tax Allowances

Question

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of uptake of the marriage tax allowance is; what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of that allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

The Marriage Allowance was introduced in April 2015, to recognise the importance of marriage in the tax system and support those on low incomes. Over 1.6 million couples have successfully applied for the Marriage Allowance, with around one million applying so far in this tax year.

The Government is committed to raising awareness of the savings the allowance will bring to eligible couples. HM Revenue and Customs ran a marketing campaign in the autumn of 2016, comprising radio, digital, social media and search engine advertising. A further round of advertising commenced on 20 February and will run through to 31 March 2017.

As with all efforts to promote awareness of tax reliefs and allowances, the Government will keep the effectiveness of these marketing campaigns under review.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
64297
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Married people Tax allowances
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk