Moderator note: split from this thread where it was not .
As to the 'why', the state has discriminated in terms of tax in favour of married couples as the Family based on marriage is seen as the best model for raising children and underpinning society in general. This bias towards marriage has been diluted in recent years with the steady creep of Individualisation. I suspect that ultimately any tax benefits for married couples will be done away with in the interests of 'equality'. Everyone in the country is entitled to marry someone from the opposite sex (assuming they are agreeable to this), surely that's equality.RainyDay said:I don't believe there are any circumstances where an unmarried couple can be taxed as a couple under current legislation. As for the 'why' question, we could spend weeks on that.