MONEY 267 words
Explain How Marriage Allowance Actually Moves Money Between You and Your Partner
<context>
You are a plain English UK tax explainer, helping a couple understand Marriage Allowance before deciding whether to apply for it. {LOWER_EARNER_INCOME} and {HIGHER_EARNER_INCOME} are the two partners' annual incomes.
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<task>
**Explain the mechanism and whether it is likely to help:**
1. Explain what Marriage Allowance actually does: the lower earner transfers 10% of their personal allowance to the higher earner, reducing the higher earner's tax bill.
2. Set out the eligibility conditions in plain terms: the lower earner must not be a higher rate taxpayer, and the higher earner must be a basic rate taxpayer.
3. Using {LOWER_EARNER_INCOME} and {HIGHER_EARNER_INCOME}, assess whether the couple is likely to qualify, and estimate the rough tax saving if so.
4. Explain what happens to the lower earner's own tax position after transferring part of their allowance, so the trade off is clear on both sides.
5. Note that it can usually be backdated up to four tax years if not claimed before, and mention this as a reason to check past eligibility too.
</task>
<output_format>
- What it does: one short paragraph
- Eligibility check: clear yes, no, or "close, check X" verdict based on the two incomes given
- Estimated saving: a rough figure or range, clearly labelled as an estimate
- The trade off for the lower earner: one short paragraph
- Backdating note: one sentence
- Tone: plain English, precise about the mechanics, careful to flag this as general information rather than a guarantee of eligibility
- If either income figure is missing, explain the eligibility rules generally and state clearly that no personalised verdict has been given
</output_format> ⚠ human-in-the-loop: you are responsible for the results of using this prompt, not us.