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A MAN WHO married his best friend for tax reasons just before Christmas two years ago has died.
Matt Murphy hit the headlines in December 2017 when he told RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline programme that he was set to marry Michael O’Sullivan.
Although neither man is gay, Matt said they were getting married so that he could leave Michael his house when he died and his friend wouldn’t have to pay inheritance tax. The pair tied the knot on 22 December 2017.
Speaking to Joe Duffy on the same programme today, Michael said that Matt had passed away in the early hours this morning.
“He was a wonderful person,” Michael said. “He loved people. Even when he was ill in the house here. Once you got him sitting down and someone to talk to, you would not know he was ill.”
Born in Cashel in Tipperary, Matt Murphy resided in Stoneybatter in Dublin.
Liveline / TwitterWe @joeliveline are so sad to let people know that Matt pictured sitting here has passed away early this morning...They captured the hearts and minds #liveline when they announced that they would marry for tax reasons in 2017. RIP MATT. CONDOLENCES TO MICHAEL... pic.twitter.com/rvs8VGBfKq
— Liveline (@rteliveline) January 14, 2020
His death notice on RIP.ie said: “Peacefully with Michael by his side, former butler, valet, head of house, telephonist, model, actor, husband, stepfather and utter gentleman; sadly missed by Michael, John, Irene, his stepchildren, cousin Nellie, his great friends James, Mary and Deirdre, relatives and friends.”
He will repose in his home tomorrow afternoon and all day Thursday before his funeral on Friday afternoon.
“I just want to give everyone a chance to come hello and say goodbye,” his husband Michael said.
“Matt was illegitimately born in 1935, and up until he died he never knew who his father was,” he added.
So he said that he came into the world under a big cloud but he went out in a mighty bang. And that’s really true.
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Amazing move by this clever guy. Rest in Peace gentleman.
@Shane McGrath:God bless him. He is a modern day legend. We can all learn from his actions.
I hope Revenue don’t put up a case saying it was a sham marriage or anything, as a tax dodge. I hope being transparent about it won’t go against them.
@SouperArlene: That would be an hard case for the Revenue to win, what defines a marriage?
“the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship” – they seem to have met that criteria.
@SouperArlene: If the Revenue focussed on this same-sex marriage for avoiding tax, they would have to act equally against opposite sex partners who get married for tax reasons. Why shouldn’t couples get married to avoid tax? It is as good a reason as love.
@Patrick Brompton: No it’s not!
@Pat Coyne: Couples are allowed to get married for whatever reasons they want. All equally valid. Who are you to judge?
@SouperArlene: but it’s a sham marriage!!
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: that why the nuclear family is gone down the crapper ?
@Niall Donnelly: No, it was a real legally binding marriage.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: I don’t care too much for money cause money can’t buy me, love, can’t buy me love Everybody tells me so!
@Pat Coyne: try it
@SouperArlene: Wouldn’t be surprising and would certainly be typically Irish. Be-Jibbers!… Give us €50?
RIP
Inheritance tax, what a farce… not like it wasn’t taxed to begin with to be taxed again for the absolute sake of it…
@Beer Wolf: Inheritance tax is a vital social mechanism. It isso rich people can’t hoard wealth over generations. You wouldn’t want those with huge wealth to be able to leave everything to their children without any sort of taxation.
The serious issue is that the threshold is too low for direct descendants and especially for gifting to extended family or friends.
@John Moynihan: anyone with wealth knows how to avoid inheritance tax. There are hands-off mechanisms for this purpose.
@iohanx: please detail some of these please. Broad terms will suffice.
@Insider at RTE: You can gift each of your children up to €3000 each year tax free.
@Insider at RTE: They also can leave their assets into a trust.
@Insider at RTE: most take out a whole of life assurance plan which will pay out enough tax free money on death to cover the inheritance tax due – this allowing the estate to remain in tact. It’s known as succession planning.
RIP. Can his husband now claim widows pension?
@Michelle_Herbert: yes
@Michelle_Herbert: I don’t imagine he will though.
Fair play to him.
It should be possible for two people to declare a partner for tax purposes. In a fair society, a bachelor should be able nominate a brother, sister or friend. Equality should there for everyone!
Rest in peace!
Is Joe Duffy the Grim Reaper?? Don’t talk to Joe!!
Rest in peace Mr. Murphy.
You had the last laugh.
RIP
Aw so sad to hear that. Condolences to Michael. RIP Matt
Not one of you mentioned the deep affection and loyalty which was the basis of this marriage, had Matt not cared greatly for his friend he would not have done what he did.
He wanted his his friend to have security, a home for the rest of his life. I hope the taxman doesn’t start tearing the relationship assunder, Post mortem
Why is their an inheritance tax? Isn’t it already money they taxed to the hilt already? So U get your wages which are taxed, save a bit stick it in bank and save it for your loved ones and they try and take that aswell and will do if it’s over certain thresholds!! Why? How?
RIP. ❤
Watch this space Revenue will try to close a loophole in the law
@pat seery: What they need to do is remove the tax breaks for married people or give tax breaks to cohabiting couples . Its terrible that a cohabiting couple are deemed as a joint income for claiming any sort of benefit but when it comes to paying tax then all of a sudden they are absolute individuals. It’s an unfair system to try and force couples to marry.
@LittleBee: why? Can’t you just get married if you want to live together and start a family? You want the advantages of being married, but not the duties to be paid for….
@pat seery: how? No one knows what goes on in any relationship, you’d have a hard time proving it wasn’t a real marriage. There are many marriages built on false pretences, and I think best loyal friends is one hell of a reason to declare it a great marriage..
@Proudly Italian: I’ve been married 12 years so I’m not referring to me at all. I’m simply stating that a couple can live together have children buy a house pay bank loans, do all the same things as a married couple and they are treated with a joint income when it comes to job seekers, disability, college Grant’s. If they want to claim anything from the government they are means tested. But if they want to reduce their tax bill alive or dead then all of a sudden they are treated as completely separate and it no longer matters that they are cohabiting. Consider all the young couples saving for deposits , all the marriages that break down in the first few years, all the happy families that dont have a piece of paper and all marriages that are possibly only for tax purposes
Met them recently. Lovely people. R.I.P.
In the same fashion of marrying for access to a country is illegal marriage for tax benefits not the Same? Particularly when admitted to
@thomas patrick: They’re not trying to circumvent any law though and tax benefits are at the whim of the government annually anyway. So long as paperwork/dates are in order, revenue wouldn’t want to get involved in the marital bedroom ;-P, reasons to stay married could change like the wind.
@thomas patrick: being married is fiscally more advantageous than living together. It’s often a major factor in people’s decisions.
@Anne Marie Devlin: agreed. But generally two people who are partners do it to gain additional advantage. Not just purely for tax… generally of course. Fair play to them. Dont get me wrong, but I think it’s a brave move admitting it. Just in case
I’m sorry why are we glorifying this – this is tax fraud?
@Irish Snowden: Exactly. Totally agree.
@Irish Snowden: Um, fraud fraud?
@Irish Snowden: google is tax fraud
@Fachtna Roe: Fraud fraud
@Irish Snowden: technically not. It’s a legal marriage.. And I reckon it happens far more that you know…
@Patricia O’Reilly: marriage fraud mate – happens a lot doesn’t make it right.
Fair play!
Those people committed tax fraud.
Let’s call things by their name
Doesn’t matter if they’re a straight or a gay couple.
Marriage, either civil or religious exist for a reason, which goes way beyond ‘tax reason’.
Tax reliefs (whatever they are) for married people is a form to protect and help the family.
The fact that they declared plain and simple why they got married doesn’t make them less guilty.
@Proudly Italian: Exactly, it is what it is, I don’t think people would react the same way if this is a case of fake marriage for the reason of immigration.
@Proudly Italian: they got married, they were too old to have children or to adopt, does that make fraudsters? There was deep affection, friendship, caring, commitment in that relationship, more than in many so called straight marriages. So Dun yer gob now
@helen walsh: they got married for tax purposes, it is what it is don’t be sugar-coating this.
@helen walsh: They are both straight. They got married for tax reasons. I imagine a lot of opposite sex couples do it too to be honest.
@Proudly Italian: they exploited a legal loophole, that’s all. Anyone can do it, even you. There’s a huge difference in minimising your tax bill and tax fraud.
Rip sounds like a lovely man
I’m gay
@Eamon: Good for you, Eamon
@Eamon: Grand. Pass the salt.
❤️
What an amazing career, I’d say he had great stories to tell, RIP x
To all the nuclear family bull sh.ters.it was a marriage for love !!! Just not one for sex ,they where the best of friends that loved each other.If a man cant leave what he has worked and paid for to any body it’s a shame and should be changed. R.I.P SIR
Good on them and RIP
Was this marriage consummated?
I would be buggered to marry someone to try and save a bit of tax
Tax breaks based on status are illegal and act to discriminate against parties who are not officially “married in the eyes of the law” whereas what should matter is the nature, scope and extent of the relationship. So a couple cohabitating together for number of years should not be disadvantaged at the expense of a couple newly married. Heterosexual or homosexual should not enter into the assessment of the nature of the relationship. For a country that introduced same sex marriage Ireland has a lot to learn
Legend
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