Age-related tax allowances

As you get older there are certain age-related allowances that can reduce your tax. Some are amounts of income that you don't have to pay tax on while others are amounts that reduce your tax bill. There is also a Blind Person's Allowance.

Increased Personal Allowance from age 65

Nearly everyone who lives in the UK gets a 'Personal Allowance' that lets them have some tax-free income each year. If you get a Personal Allowance, this may increase in the tax year of your 65th birthday, depending on your taxable income.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) might not know your age unless you've told them. For example, your date of birth is shown on a tax return, claim form or form P161 'Pension Coding'. Contact HMRC if you think they do not hold your correct date of birth.

For more about the Personal Allowance, follow the first link below.

Married Couple's Allowance (includes civil partnerships)

You can claim Married Couple's Allowance if you are married or in a civil partnership and at least one spouse or civil partner was born before 6 April 1935.

It's an amount that is taken off your tax bill - so you can only claim it if you pay tax. However, if your income isn't high enough to benefit from the allowance you can transfer the surplus to your spouse or civil partner.

To find out more about Married Couple's Allowance read the guide below in the Income Tax section of the website.Link

Married Couple's Allowance (includes civil partnerships) (money, tax and benefits section)

Maintenance payments relief

You can get an allowance to reduce your tax bill for maintenance payments you make to your ex-spouse or former civil partner if:

you or your spouse or civil partner were born before 6 April 1935
you're separated or divorced or the civil partnership has dissolved and you're making the payments under a Court Order
the payments are for the maintenance of your ex-spouse or former civil partner (provided they aren't now remarried or in a new civil partnership) or for your children who are under 21

Read more about Maintenance Payments Relief in the Income Tax section of the website.

Maintenance Payments Relief (money, tax and benefits section)

Blind Person's Allowance

Blind Person's Allowance is added to your tax-free Personal Allowance - so is an extra amount of income you can get each year without paying tax. You can claim it if either of the following applies:

you're certified blind and are on a local authority register of blind persons
you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland and are unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential

If you're married or in a civil partnership and you don't pay enough tax to use all the allowance, you can transfer any unused allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner, regardless of the state of their eyesight, if they pay tax.