MARRY XMAS
Straight best pals wed to avoid €50,000 tax bill
TWO straight best friends tied the knot yesterday to avoid paying a €50,000 inheritance tax.
Matt Murphy, 83, and his carer Michael O’sullivan walked down the aisle at Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital Registry Office in Dublin.
Dad-of-three Michael, 58, said his pal wanted to leave him his home but added: “I told him I would have to sell the house as I would have to pay inheritance tax, massive tax.”
A CARER and his best friend yesterday dodged a €50,000 inheritance tax bill by walking down the aisle.
A harpist serenaded Matt Murphy and Michael O’sullivan as they got married at Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital Registry Office in Dublin in front of 11 witnesses.
Matt, 83, decided a few months ago to leave his home in Stoneybatter, West Dublin, to dad-of-three Michael, who is his carer.
The pair, who have been pals for almost 30 years and live together, realised Michael would face a crippling tax bill after Matt died.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, 58-year-old Michael said it was Matt’s plan to get married to avoid the huge payout.
He explained: “I’ve known Matty for 30 years. We became very friendly after my second relationship broke up.
“I have been bringing Matt out in my car to various parties and all that kind of thing.
“He became friends with all my friends, they all loved him.
“I lost my apartment and then I was living in somebody’s house. That house was sold and I ended up being homeless.
“Matty then unfortunately got a problem with his eyes, he started getting pains in his head. His vision started to get bad.
“He was diagnosed with giant cell arteritis which effects the optic nerve.
“He’s on 12 steroids a day, very, very strong stuff. When he went home, he struggled.
“I stayed over with him for a while and eventually Matt said ‘Why don’t you come and stay here?’
“I would go over and stay with him the odd time but never full time.
“He said that he couldn’t pay me as a carer. Eventually Matt said the only way he could pay me was to leave me the house.
“He said he would give me the house so I have somewhere to live when he goes.
“I told him it was a great idea but I’d have to sell the house as I would have to pay inheritance tax, massive tax.
“With what would be left over you wouldn’t have had enough left to buy another house.
“He was chatting to a friend down the country in Cashel, Co Tipperary, and she jokingly said we should get married.
“Then one night he turned around and said it to me and I said I would marry him.
“The equality gay and lesbian people did for this country, that they fought hard for, they were discriminated against for most of their lives, they got equality for themselves but also for everybody else.”
And Michael said the two friends couldn’t get over how news of their plans spread around the world.
He added: “It’s crazy. I read an article about it online in Malaysia.”
Meanwhile, Matt described Michael as the brother he always wanted, saying: “I would have loved to have had a brother or sister.
“He’s always so concerned about me. He’s my best friend.”
And when asked if he had ever got close to walking down the aisle before, the pensioner said he had many years ago. He added: “There was a young woman but she went to work in Manchester.
“I had no money at the time, I was only on about five shillings a week at the time.
“It was more than 60 years ago. We lost touch after a while. That was the closest I got to marriage.”
Michael told the Irish Mirror the Garda, revenue commissioners and former attorney general Michael Mcdowell all agreed they were doing nothing illegal.
Matt said the way to pay me as a carer was to leave me the house MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN ON HATCHING WEDDING PLAN
He is always so concerned about me. He is my best friend MATT MURPHY ON HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH MICHAEL