Getting married comes with a lot of admin… names to change, seating plans to agonise over, a new set of in-laws to navigate.
What often gets overlooked is that marriage also comes with some genuinely useful tax advantages that most couples never get around to using.
Here are a few of the most commonly missed ones.
The Marriage Allowance… Still Unclaimed by Millions
This one has been available since 2015, and yet an estimated 2.1 million eligible couples still haven’t claimed it.
If one of you earns below the personal allowance of £12,570, perhaps because they work part-time, are not currently working, or are in early retirement, you can transfer a portion of that unused allowance to your partner – provided they pay basic rate tax (For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, this usually means income between £12,571 and £50,270; Scotland has different bands).
For 2026/27, that transfer is worth up to £252 off your household tax bill. Not life-changing on its own, but it applies every year and you can backdate it by up to four years, meaning some couples can claim over £1,000 in one go simply by making the application.
It takes around ten minutes online through HMRC. Most people just haven’t done it.
Using Both Personal Allowances
Each person has their own personal allowance, the amount they can earn before paying any income tax. For 2026/27 that sits at £12,570 each.
Where couples often leave money on the table is when income-producing assets, savings accounts, investment holdings, rental properties, sit entirely in one person’s name, even though the other partner pays less or no tax.
Moving assets between spouses is generally free of Capital Gains Tax at the point of transfer. Over time, having investments spread between you means more income can be received tax-free, and any gains can be realised using both annual CGT allowances of £3,000 each rather than just one.
This isn’t complicated in principle, but it does need to be done properly and suit your wider financial picture.
Pension Contributions for a Non-Earning Partner
Even if one partner isn’t working and has no income, they can still contribute to a pension and benefit from tax relief. The limit is £2,880 net per year, which becomes £3,600 once basic rate tax relief is added by the government.
For couples where one person has stepped back from work, perhaps for childcare or to ease into semi-retirement, this is a straightforward way to keep building their pension with a meaningful government top-up, even when there’s no salary coming in.
The Bigger Picture
None of these moves requires anything exotic. They’re built into the tax system and available to any married couple or civil partnership. The reason they get missed is usually the same old story: life is busy, and these things feel like something to sort out later. A tale as old as time!
The issue is that “later” often means missing out on years of small but cumulative savings that, added together, are actually worth something.
If you’d like to check whether you and your partner are making the most of what’s available to you, we’re happy to take a look.
📞 Call 020 8366 4400 or 📧 email enquiries@cedarhfs.co.uk to speak with the team.