Married Tax Breaks

[Wolfshade]

Is that the only benefit? Not knowing the tax codes in the UK, I have no idea how you'd file. In the states you can end up paying a higher rate if you're married - joint income, higher tax bracket. That bit of law has regularly been cited as one of the reasons why we're at a 31.1 marriage rate, which is an all time low and keeps going down as you reduce income. I seriously doubt that would change if people were offered $320/year, esp if it means that dual income equates to less or no social assistance.

Each individual is taxed as an individual so even if your combined income do put you into one of the higher tax brackets it doesn't matter.
It is taken into account for benefits and tax credits, like child allowance and so on and so forht.

[The Girl]

Each individual is taxed as an individual so even if your combined income do put you into one of the higher tax brackets it doesn't matter.
It is taken into account for benefits and tax credits, like child allowance and so on and so forht.

*nods* We tend to do household income vs individual here. You can file separately if you are married, but it can be a pain to separate deductions and is sometimes more beneficial to file jointly thanks to health care expenses and kiddos. Woo US tax code

[Denzark]

That happens in the military. There are massive incentives to get married. You get a pay raise, extra housing and separation allowances, you get to move out of the barracks (which are like college dorms, except the professors own you and will come and inspect your room) and get your own apartment or house, you don't have to go on duty as often, etc. Young servicemen will practically marry the first girl they pick up at a bar. The military has a very, very high divorce rate as a result.

Of course I'm not an expert on US military. But the divorce rate is also due to the little all expenses paid holidays to the Sandpit that come around with increasing regularity.

[ElectricPaladin]

Welcome to politicsland, where giving people money is the best way to show that you approve of what they're doing. That way when you come up for reelection, you can say "look at how much I support marriage - I gave married couples an extra three pounds a week! Go me?"

[Wildeybeast]

Yup. It's conference season here, so each party is making token gestures. First we had free school meals, then a promise to freeze energy prices (something which is completely unworkable and probably violates several EU competition laws) and now tax breaks for married couples. Nothing of any actual substance, and all curiously timed, given there won't be an election for another year and a half.

[Wolfshade]

I worked out that I would have been better off getting a single occupancy rate on my council tax, ah well time to be a wolfpack of one again I guess...

The thing is that the government has some ideals of what they think people should be doing they have two ways to encourage people to do it, they can either give incentives to encourage people, like with child benefits, or discinentives to discourage people, like fines/gaol time.