Being asked to add partner payments to my tax return

[Catscoffeeandsleep]

I’m looking for some advice because I’m feeling unsure about something that’s come up while doing my tax return.

This year my income is very low as I was mostly at home caring for my daughter. She was only in nursery two mornings a week, and during that time my partner gave me some money while I wasn’t working much. I also did a small amount of self-employed cleaning work.

While I was doing my tax return, my partner was hovering behind me, offering to help me as it was my first tax return (which is unlike him), I said no, it's okay, he then asked how much I had made, which is strange as he is very separate when it comes to finances, I don't have access or no much about his incomes but I do know that he earns very well and has a lot in savings. He then suggested I should include all the money he’s given me as income, as if he was paying me. He’s said this would reduce the amount he owes. He said that all wives do this, he's helped me out and he paid £5000 for my car (mine was unsafe to drive) which has eaten into his account.

I’m confused because the money was support while I was doing childcare and running the household, not wages for a job. I know that the he has supported me financially for a few years whilst raising our daughter. I earn more now and pay for myself.

I’d really appreciate advice on this situation as it's made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Fuck that.

If you are in the UK, you can share some of your tax-free allowance if you haven't used it with your husband - but it isn't very much. But absolutely don't put down any ad-hoc payments he has made to you as income!
Marriage Allowance is what you need to search for on HMRC.

FFS really? It's such a letdown when it turns out that posters are still with these absolute losers.

I know a few people who do “a bit of admin” for their other halves businesses and get paid fairly well. You can save quite a lot in tax if you divide an income over two people and get two sets of tax allowance etc.

Yes, but it needs to be paid under payroll/PAYE scheme as a formal employer/employer relationship.

Absolutely NOT!

He is wrong here. You keep yourself straight & don't do your self-assessment whilst he's in the house.

He's got an absolute nerve sticking his nose in your finances when he keeps his top secret from you.

What on earth are you doing living with a man as the mother of his children with no idea about his finances? This is 2026- all finances need to be on the table and transparent. What are you doing bringing up a rich (possibly very rich) man's child but having to support yourself with a cleaning job? This is not equality it's financial abuse- it is not your job to bring up his child, reduce his tax bill, and pay your own way. All finances on the table and down the middle,now.

In UK? He is talking about putting wages paid to wife as an expense in his accounts which would reduce his taxable profit - but HMRC would expect you to do some work for his business, for instance secretarial, to justify the expense. Also, he would need to make sure that the amount he is declaring doesn’t attract national insurance or he will need to setup a payroll.

Absolutely do not do this.

If you haven’t got an agreement to provide casual work, and you don’t invoice him with the payments matching your banking accounts then don’t do it. It’s dodgy as fuck.

You need to leave this guy …. He’s clearly dodgy and clearly doesn’t care about you - such an odd thing to say - controlling!

Is he hoping he can offset costs against you as though you’re a charity donation or something?

Hi you have not answered if you are married, if you are you could look as marriage allowance if you are a non tax payer, I would also suggest a consult with an accountant as he seems confused most do an initial appointment without charge.
Please claim the child benefit in your name based on the money discussions.

The OP hasn’t returned to a thread since 2023…… this will all be for nowt.

If you're in the UK you usually don't need to do a tax return if your income after work related expenses is below a certain amount.

No, as everyone else has said he's trying to do tax evasion. If you're married you can use the married couple's allowance, where if you are below the threshold you can transfer the remaining allowance to him, to reduce his tax bill. However, he sounds dodgy, I'm not sure that I'd like to be financially linked to him.