HMRC are urging couples to check if they can claim Marriage Tax Allowance which could boost their finances by £252 a year.

Marriage Allowance is a tax perk available to couples who are married or in a civil partnership. The perk allows the lower earner in the relationship to transfer £1,260 of their personal allowance to their partner.

The higher-earner will then receive a tax credit equivalent to the amount of personal allowance that has been transferred to them. For the current 2023/24 tax year, the tax break you can get is worth £252.

If eligible, couples can also backdate their claim for the previous four tax years and receive a lump-sum payment worth more than £1,000. HMRC has urged couples to check if they could be eligible for the perk and they can do this in just 30 seconds by using the tax department's Marriage Allowance calculator.

In a nutshell, to claim the perk you need to be married or in a civil partnership, and both of you must also have been born on or after April 6, 1935. One of you also needs to be a non-taxpayer while the other person needs to be paying the basic 20% rate of tax.

This usually means one of you doesn’t pay tax or earns less than £12,570, while the other person would be making between £12,571 and £50,270 - in Scotland it's between £12,571 and £43,662.

If you are eligible and sign up, then the allowance will transfer to the spouse automatically every year unless you contact HMRC to cancel it, or your marriage comes to an end. The tax office also highlights that couples can claim this perk even if they have retired and their partner is still working. However, you cannot claim marriage tax allowance if you’re living together but not married or in a civil partnership.

HMRC’s deputy chief executive and second permanent secretary, Angela MacDonald said: "The Marriage Allowance calculator helps couples to find out in seconds how much they stand to benefit. Check today and claim right away. It’s a quick and easy process that’s worth up to £252 a year. Search ‘Marriage Allowance’ on GOV.UK for more information."

You can apply for marriage tax allowance through the HMRC website or by calling 0300 200 3300 - the person who earns the least should make the claim.