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.
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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.
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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?