Tax return permissions (FOI)

​Request

Please can you advise how many married men have completed the form giving permission to their wives to deal with their own tax affairs and what percentage that is from the total possible number of permissions given?

Response

As at the beginning of February 2020, approximately 13,000 active tax records (63% of the total) relating to married couples / civil partnerships reflect that permission had been given by the primary taxpayer for their spouse to deal with their tax affairs.

The figures above:

• include both married couples / civil partnerships that are liable to pay tax and those that complete an annual return but are not currently liable to pay tax

• exclude records where the partners have opted for separate assessments (approximately 650 couples)