# unmarried couple expecting their first child



## kb141 (20 Apr 2007)

hi folks,

new member to this site, hoping that ye can help me with a couple of queries.

myself and my partner are soon to be the proud parents of our first child, however we live together and we are hoping that she can be a stay at home mum. i was wondering if, in ireland i am entitled to any taxation changes, such as tax credits or exemptions. from my reading of it i dont think i am seeing that we are not married.

i await your assistance and thank you in advance for same

kb


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## NiallA (20 Apr 2007)

Afaik you can only transfer tax credits or unused portions of tax bands if you are married


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## Aisling2323 (20 Apr 2007)

no i don't think so. Not within income tax system anyway. I see there are proposals to allow the same taxation rights to cohabiting couples as married couples, but nothing will happen in the short few weeks left under this Government. perhaps in a few years things will change. But your plight highlights exactly the problem with individualisation for married couples - this is exactly the problem, the tax band shortens for a one-income married couple ..


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## kb141 (20 Apr 2007)

yeah i thought as much, i know there are credits and exemptions for single parents who have dependant children, but they dont qualify if the parents are "living as man and wife" - even though "living as man and wife" qualifies you for absolutely nothing!! 

it doesnt really promote people to do the right thing and not make dodgy claims for welfare, things never change, do the right thing and you will never win.

thanks all.


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## ClubMan (21 Apr 2007)

kb141 said:


> yeah i thought as much, i know there are credits and exemptions for single parents who have dependant children, but they dont qualify if the parents are "living as man and wife"


Of course not - because the payment is called the *One Parent *Family Payment! 


> even though "living as man and wife" qualifies you for absolutely nothing!!


 It does if you are married.


> it doesnt really promote people to do the right thing and not make dodgy claims for welfare, things never change, do the right thing and you will never win.


 Not sure what you're on about here but please post rants in _Letting Off Steam_ and not in the main forums.


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## Bajer (26 Apr 2007)

Hmm ClubMan, I had to re-read your reply to kb141's post a few times to   make sure that you weren't joking. Kb141 makes very valid points, and you incorrectly shot them down. I am quite amazed that as an administrator of a forum called askaboutmoney you seem to be unaware of one of the biggest anamolies in the Irish Social Welfare and Taxation system. Kb141 asked a very reasonable question and you only saw fit to deride him and to be of absolutely no use to him. 



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kb141* http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=402379#post402379
> _yeah i thought as much, i know there are credits and exemptions for single parents who have dependant children, but they dont qualify if the parents are "living as man and wife" _
> 
> Of course not - because the payment is called the *One Parent *Family Payment!



Wrong. kb141 is referring to tax benefits. You are referring to a welfare payment. kb141 's point is that single parents, married parents, separated and divorced parents can claim tax relief for children. Unmarried cohabiting  couples have difficulty getting tax relief for their children.



> Quote:
> even though "living as man and wife" qualifies you for absolutely nothing!!
> It does if you are married.



This response is just plain facetious and unhelpful. The phrase "living as man and wife" is quite obviously meant to refer to an unmarried couple who are cohabiting. There are numerous reasons why a couple may be unable or unwilling to marry. Couples where one or both parties were previously married, but have yet to obtain a divorce. Couples who simply do not wish to marry for any number of reasons. Cohabiting gay couples are precluded by law from marrying. (I intentionally include gay couples here, as they can obviously have children and can be deemed a cohabiting couple by the state, thus affecting their tax/welfare rights).

kb141's point here is that while the state decrees that the couple are living as man and wife and as such are disbarred from claiming certain tax reliefs in relation to their children, the recognition of their cohabition status does not entitle them to the tax reliefs that are afforded to their married counterparts. Simply put, they can't get the tax reliefs of single people or married people. 



> Quote:
> it doesnt really promote people to do the right thing and not make dodgy claims for welfare, things never change, do the right thing and you will never win.
> Not sure what you're on about here but please post rants in _Letting Off Steam_ and not in the main forums.



It's fairly obvious what he was on about here. He's making that the point that the current tax/wefare system is prejudiced against cohabiting couples and this does not encourage people to register their true status to the relevant state bodies. It encourages cohabiting people to claim One Parent Family Welfare payments as they cannot claim the same tax benfits as their married counterparts. 

He didn't really seem to be "ranting." He posted a very relevant initial query and having got some feedback from people, he summed up with his opinion of the situation. Your suggestion that he post his final comments in a new thread in a new forum is asinine.

kb141, I'm in a similar situation to you. I am no financial expert and also welcome any advice anyone out there has. I cannot marry my partner. I can't claim tax relief for my partner or our children - I am taxed as a single man. I can't claim relief for the huge medical expenses that I pay for our whole family. Is anyone aware of a way around this?


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## ClubMan (27 Apr 2007)

Bajer said:


> Wrong. kb141 is referring to tax benefits. You are referring to a welfare payment. kb141 's point is that single parents, married parents, separated and divorced parents can claim tax relief for children.


This is not true. There is no tax relief specifically for having children. Are you talking about the _Home Carer's Tax Credit _or something?


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## Blinder (27 Apr 2007)

ClubMan said:


> This is not true. There is no tax relief specifically for having children. Are you talking about the _Home Carer's Tax Credit _or something?



I think they are referring to the One Parent Family Tax Credit

From  [broken link removed]



> One-Parent Tax Credit may be claimed by an individual who is single,          widowed, deserted or separated or divorced and who has one or more dependant          children who resides with him/her for all or part of the year for which          the claim is made.
> Widowed Person            1,760                               Other Person           1,760                        *You do not qualify for One-Parent Family Tax Credit if:*
> You already qualify for a married persons tax credit or you live with          another person as man and wife.


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## wexgirl (27 Apr 2007)

Regarding Bajers comments, I dont understand why you cant claim for medical expenses for your children? Myself & partner cohabit - not married - have 2 children together, but considering he is in the higher tax bracket & i am not, every year we claim for the childrens medical expenses in his name & he gets the tax refund.


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