Tory tax break offers married couples £20 per week

Tories line up £20 tax break for married couple in policy report published today

Written by AccountancyAge.com

Married couples could receive a £20 tax break a week under suggestions from a Conservative policy team.

If one member of the couple stays at home to look after children they could be in line to receive the £20 tax break, suggests the policy team led by Iain Duncan-Smith.

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Duncan-Smith said the current regime does not reward married couples for staying together, claiming that marriage breakdown costs the UK £102bn a year.

Tory leader David Cameron renewed his pledge to make radical reforms in personal taxation in favour of families and married couples.

Commenting ahead of today's publication of Breakthrough Britain on ways of addressing social and family breakdown, he said the number one priority for a Conservative government would be repairing the damage with 'long-term generational change' to support families.

He said he was keen to adopt changes to taxes and benefits in favour of those who are married, claiming the existing structure 'encourages families to break up' and "encourages couples to separate.

He said marriage 'should be recognised in the tax system' and welfare benefits that encourage couples to break up should be challenged.

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell will on Thursday spell out his party's plans to reduce the burden of taxation on low and middle income earners while tackling environmental damage and maintaining fiscal discipline.

Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband said the government would not 'discriminate against some children' in its tax policy, reported the BBC.

'I don't think it's right for politicians to come on and preach,' he added.

Further reading:

Go to Conservatives.com

Tories to restore tax breaks for married couples

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