Personal Finance Money transfer

Can I transfer money to my spouse tax-free?

Emma-Jane Stogdon

19.12.25

Read time 3 minutes

Disclaimer: The information on this page should not be considered tax advice. You should contact HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) or seek professional tax advice.

Need or want to give your spouse some money? It may be your half of a shared property purchase, an informal investment in their business or simply a generous gift.

Before you make this kind of transfer, it’s important to understand whether there will be any tax implications.

In this helpful guide, we’ll be looking at UK gift tax rules and whether you can transfer money to your spouse tax-free.

We’ll even show you an easy, secure and cost-effective way to do it, using the Wise account.

➡️ Learn more about the Wise account

What tax rules apply to giving gifts in the UK?

The rules on giving gifts in the UK - which includes money as well as valuable goods, real estate, stocks and shares - comes under inheritance tax (IHT) law.

These laws not only outline how much you can inherit from a deceased loved one before you have to pay tax. They also stipulate tax-free allowances for gifts.

These state that each person has a tax-free allowance of £3,000 a year for gifts.¹ This means you can give up to this amount each year, to whoever you want, without having to pay tax.

Above this threshold, you may have to pay inheritance tax.

Additional rules and exemptions on gift giving in the UK include:¹

Small gift allowance - you can give extra small gifts of up to £250 per person per tax year. For example, birthday or Christmas presents.
Gifts for weddings or civil partnerships - there are tax-free wedding gift allowances of up to £5,000 if giving to a child, £2,500 to a grandchild or great-grandchild and£1,000 to any other person.

What’s the 7 year inheritance tax rule?

In addition to the annual allowances on gifts, there’s another rule it’s useful to know about. This is known as the 7 year rule, and it basically says that no inheritance tax is due on gifts if you live for 7 years after giving them.¹

If you pass away within this time, tax may be due on these gifts for the 7-year period before you die.

Do inheritance tax rules on gifts apply to spouses?

There is one important exception to the UK’s IHT rules on gifts. It doesn’t apply to spouses and civil partners,¹ meaning you don’t need to worry about allowances or inheritance tax.

You can give as much as you want to your spouse or civil partner in your lifetime, without having to pay tax.¹

Can I transfer money to my spouse tax-free?

Yes, you can send or give money to your spouse as long as:¹

You’re legally married or in a civil partnership - co-habiting and long-term couples don’t qualify for this gift tax exemption, unfortunately
Your spouse is a permanent UK resident.

If you meet both of these requirements, your gift is exempt from inheritance or gift tax. This means you can send £1,000, £10,000, £100,000 or even more to your spouse without having to worry about inheritance tax on the transfer.

Do I have to tell HMRC about a gift of money?

You don’t usually need to declare or tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) if you’ve received a cash gift.

The exception to this is if you make a profit on gifts you receive. For example, if you receive shares or real estate, and sell them for a profit. In this case, capital gains tax (CGT) may be due - and this is something you definitely need to tell HMRC about.

Can I transfer money to a spouse internationally without paying tax?

If your spouse or civil partner is currently living or working in another country (for example, they’re on a 6-month work placement), you’ll need to know about the tax rules about making international transfers from the UK.

You’ll be pleased to know that the same rules apply as sending money to a spouse within the UK. As long as you’re married or in a civil partnership, you can transfer as much as you want without having to pay any tax.¹

However, this is only the case if your spouse is away temporarily. If they move outside the UK permanently, different tax laws may apply.¹ If this is the case, it’s best to get professional tax advice on this before making any transfers.

📚 UK international money transfer laws and regulations

Send money internationally with Wise - for low fees and great exchange rates

Need to send money to a spouse abroad? If you’re married or in a civil partnership and they are a permanent UK resident (out of the country only temporarily), then you shouldn’t have to pay gift tax.

However, there are some costs which can catch you out when making the actual transfer. When you send money abroad with a bank, you may have to pay high transfer fees - and lose out to poor exchange rates.

This is why it’s smart to shop around for an alternative, such as Wise.

Open a Wise account online and you can send money to 140+ countries, for low, transparent fees*. Best of all, you’ll always get mid-market exchange rates. This means no costly margin or mark-up added on top, so your money goes further.

It’s easy, quick and secure to send money to a spouse or anyone else in another country with Wise. You can do it in just a few clicks, and even track your transfer in the Wise app.

➡️ Learn more about the Wise account

After reading this, you should have a better idea of what gift and inheritance tax rules may apply to your transfer. The great news is that if you’re sending to a spouse or civil partner who is a permanent UK resident, you shouldn’t have to pay any gift tax.

However, tax can be complicated - so it’s still a good idea to get professional tax advice or contact HMRC directly if you’re unsure.

Sources used:
1. GOV.UK - Inheritance tax thresholds, rules and allowances
Sources last checked 22-Oct-2025

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

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