Child benefit tax

Yes we knew about it. We knew in tax year 22/23 my husbands salary less pension would be just over the £60k mark so we saved the child benefit for that year in premium bonds then cancelled start of April 23 so we won't have anything to repay for tax year 23/24
I'm surprised you don't know about this. HMRC also wrote to my husband after April 23 to advise him that he would need to repay

We got hammered and I had to put in tax returns all the way back to 2013/14, it was endless tax returns and paying up.

We are registered for it, but opted to not be paid it.

I'm just about to start a job at almost £60k - what is the best thing for me to do?

I'm not sure how you didn't know it was huge news when announced and there are threads on here constantly. It wouldn't be you who files the return it would be your partner and as they are earning over £60,000 I imagine others in their workplace are and this issue will probably be being discussed at work as well.

Either way its best to claim it and your partner pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge (its not a tax) through submitting a tax return every year. If its the only reason for doing a return it is very easy to do online.

I get so cross about this, earn just over £50k as a single person household and you have to pay (some) of it back but a household earning nearly £100k doesn't. It is hugely unfair.

Its stupid isn't it also that 2 parents can earn 49k each and still get it buy one can earn 5k another 60 and not be entitled.
I'm now on 55k so I'll need to pay some back but not all. I'm too dense to work out the figure so I put it into a savings account and I'll pay back what I'm asked to at the end of the financial year.
In your case, I think you can apply for it but not take it so your state pension is still protected.

It's not you who has to include it in your tax return though its your spouse isn't it?

The reason its important to claim in your name as SAHP is for the national insurance credits for your state pension. Unless your spouse is paying those for you?

Sorry, I don’t think there’s many good excuses for either you or your partner (both actually) not knowing or not caring to find out.

I'm surprised you didn't know - there are threads on it on MN every few weeks. You can claim the credits but not receive the money if you don't want the hassle of paying it back, and it will cover your NI.

I'm a sahm to a high earner so my mum makes the claim - she contributes to the dcs more than the amount of child benefit which means she can claim even though she lives next door. Not affected by DH's salary as it's a different address.

Yes we got hit a few years ago, the first year my husbands pay was about £52000 and we had to pay a portion of it back. Then the following year, he sold employee shares, and had a few bonuses during covid and his salary hit just over £60000 luckily once I’d realised , I stopped claiming but still had to pay them over £1000 back.
I was only working part time myself and my husband is usually on around £35k so it was a bit galling. To think that a couple could earn £49k each and not have to pay a penny back.
It’s all back to normal now so my husband or I are unlikely to receive that kind of salary again.

I knew and my kids are adults now. You do register for the benefit, so that you get credits for your pension, but you don’t take the money.