Getting bro-mantic for the taxes.
Two men who have described themselves as “best friends” for almost 30 years have announced that they will be getting married in January.
It would sound pretty mundane a headline were it not for the fact that neither man is gay. They are officially coming together purely for tax purposes.
The news was declared on RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline, during an exchange between presenter Joe Duffy and Dublin native Matt, one half of this unlikely coupling.
85 years old and partially blind, Matt said he intends to marry Michael, his neighbour, carer and friend of 29 years, in a ceremony at a friend’s house in Tipperary next month.
The reason for doing so is to ensure that Michael would be able to inherit Matt’s house without having to pay any Capital Acquisition Tax.
“It’s really a business thing,” Matt told Joe, since civil partnerships can make a person exempt from such taxes.
“He’d be part of my life. When I die, whatever I have, i.e. my home – there’d be no problems – he can have it.”
Admitting that he himself had never married, Matt pointed out that Michael is divorced with three children, saying “nowadays this is official, and he has an official divorce.”
“If he’s prepared to look after me in my old age – this will be my 85th Christmas on Earth – I thought it was a very good thing that came into my head.”
The pair were originally set to marry on December 22, but Matt said that they would be postponing the event due to issues over weather and travel.
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