Help With Income Tax

[mrspask]

I am a pensioner who has more money [with state pension and a few small annuities]to staynbelow the £10090 threshold.My wife is on long term sick leave and has been for over a year now with no resumption in sight.My question is -must I be treated as an individual paye taxpayer or can I be treated as a joint payer with my wife,so reducing my tax bill?I am 75 and really annoyed at 20% being taken off my "wages"!!

[Davethedog]

I cannot answer your question directly but, both you and your wife have a personal tax free allowance of £10,500. You only pay tax on anything over that, so if your income was £12,000 your tax would be £300 per year

[New Judge]

The answer is that you cannot be treated as a "joint" taxpayer for income tax purposes. As has been said you have your own personal allowance and that is that. Your wife's allowance is, effectively, lost.

Of course had you spent your life peeing all your spare cash up the wall and had no other income apart from a State "pension" (which would not be a pension at all but simply retirement age benefits) you would be entitled to a higher rate of income from the State as would your wife. And all your income would be tax free whereas, as you have discovered, your Stae pension forms part of your taxable income.

However, all is not lost. Mr Cameron is, it is said, about to fulfil one of his election promises. If the measure is passed (by no means a certainty as there are already cries of "unfair") your wife would be able to transfer a whole £750 of her £10k allowance to you, thus reducing your annual tax bill by a massive £150. Still, mustn't grumble, eh!?

[Boto]

If you were born before 5/4/38 your personal allowance for the current year is £10500. If your income is less than that you won't pay income tax anyway.