Conservatives' Marriage Tax is fundamentally unfair

11.46.34pm GMT Tue 19th Jan 2010

The Lib Dems want to stop four million people on low incomes having to pay income tax at all

Commenting on today's report on the Conservatives' marriage tax proposals from Iain Duncan Smith's think tank, The Centre for Social Justice, Lib Dem spokesman Danny Alexander MP said: "These proposals on marriage tax do not address the fundamental unfairness of the Tories' policy. Giving tax breaks to married couples where one person can afford to stay at home, but doing nothing for couples who both work is unfair."

Mr Alexander added: "Penalising a woman whose husband has left her with a tax hike is unfair. This policy ultimately takes money out of the pockets of the poorest families and gives it to rich ones. The Tories' first instinct is to help those at the top, that's why they can't be trusted to make this country fairer."

Wantage and Didcot Lib Dem spokesman Alan Armitage said: "The Lib Dems want to radically re-balance the tax system, cutting taxes for people on low and middle incomes, whoever they may be, and in whatever kind of relationship. We will pay for this by cutting reliefs and closing tax loopholes that benefit the wealthiest. We propose to raise the threshold at which people start paying income tax from current levels to £10,000, cutting the average working age person's income tax bill by £700 and cutting pensioner's income tax bills by £100. These plans will mean that almost 4 million people on low incomes will no longer have to pay any income tax at all."