Marriage, It Appears, Is A Taxing Business!

I got this email from CARE today:

CARE is today releasing a special Supporter Briefing on next week's Budget. As noted in Impact Direct last Friday, the Budget, announced a week today, provides the Government with an opportunity to honour its commitment to recognise marriage in the tax system. If the Government fails to realise this commitment next week, we will have to wait another 12 months before they will have the opportunity to implement this decision again.

It is very important that the Prime Minister and Chancellor receive as many letters as possible between now and the Budget announcement, asking them to honour their commitment to recognise marriage in the tax system in the Budget, because this will demonstrate that people have taken their promise seriously.

Even if they don't act this year, the fact that they receive many letters in the run up to the Budget will not be lost on them as they plan for the Budget next year.
CARE's Chief Executive, Nola Leach, said today: ‘I am delighted that we are able to release this supporter briefing. It is vital that the Chancellor and Prime Minister receive as many letters and emails as possible about the need to recognise marriage in the tax system in the run up to the Budget a week today. Please take five minutes to send an email or letter today.'

To view CARE's new briefing, click here.

For those who don't have time, please consider emailing the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the next few days before the Budget, simply raising the following points:

• Thank them for their commitment to recognise marriage in the tax system. If this was a significant factor in how you voted, mention this.
• Ask them to recognise marriage in the tax system in a budget resolution immediately following the March 23rd Budget.
• Point out that as the tax burden on one-earner married couples on average wage in the UK is already 39 per cent greater than the OECD average and will rise to being 50 per cent greater – previously unheard of – the recognition of marriage in the tax system is absolutely imperative. You can cite The Taxation of Families 2009/10, Draper, Beighton and Pearson, CARE, 2011. (Available here)

Contact details for the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer:

Rt Hon David Cameron MP
The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Office email: https://email.number10.gov.uk/Contact.aspx
Email: camerond@parliament.uk
Rt Hon George Osborne MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
HM Treasury
Horse Guards Rd
London
SW1A 2HQ

Office email: ministers@hm-treasury.gov.uk
Email: osborneg@parliament.uk

Pray that the Chancellor will decide to support marriage in the tax system and that MPs across all parties will be in favour of this.