Why Not? Dad has pasted on and Mom is 78 and on a fixed income. Say that I am (theoretically) 50, divorced with no kids, no home ownership and making over $100K a year. Basically I’d just be giving about $19K to the tax man and getting no return.
I love mom but can I marry her for just for tax purposes? Have people actually tried this?
It has to be a legal marriage, and no state allows a mother to marry a son.
I see a gay marriage debate in 3…2…1…
There are cases of people getting divorced for tax or financial reasons only, they just continue to live together with no changes in their romantic relationship.
If you and your mother are shtupping each other, just go ahead and do it, without the tax benefits.
Marriage between a man and his mother is illegal; I’m sure the IRS is aware of that.
Dad has pasted on? How did he do that?
It’s a little known provision of the tax code that marriages like these must be consummated in front of an IRS inspector.
Here in the UK there is no Inheritance Tax to pay on transfers between spouses in the event of one dying (otherwise it’s generally 40%).
In theory, a daughter who really really really trusted her boyfriend, could get him to marry her (widowed) mother. Then when the mother dies, he would collect the family fortune tax-free and be free to marry the daughter and live happily ever after.
At least, I can’t see anything illegal with this. Don’t know if it’s ever actually happened though.
Assuming the OP isn’t just a whoosh or a strawman for something else (I suspect jtgain might be correct in his guess)… why SHOULD you be able to get a tax break for no reason?
I believe that the Greek city of Thebes actually attempted this, with decidedly poor results. The IRS is surprisingly well-informed on comparative law issues, and would probably try to discourage you for this reason, if no other.
Leading to the famous Oedipus Tax.
This would be…fascinating. I wonder if it would be really legal, as in other contexts marrying to “trick” the government is usually barred (immigration for example).
As “Miss Jane” explained to Jed, (who wondered why anyone wouldn’t want to pay his fair share of taxes)
“It’s OK to AVOID paying taxes so long as you don’t EVADE paying them.”
Only if it’s mother/daughter.
Fortunately, you do have some options. Many people set up accounts in Colonus as a tax shelter.
As a somewhat serious response - why not claim the mother as a dependant? Head of household type of filing… that would be, I think (just a layman here), the correct way to do things.
This has to be the first GQ thread title that made me laugh out loud.
Very nice.
The question is: even if you could, would it be worth it? Women don’t like guys who live with their mothers, after all… how would you get laid again?
And… I just thought of an answer to my second question, and so now I need to get get very, very drunk.
Cheers.
I’d rather spend a year dead for tax purposes.
Right this way, Mr. Desiato, we have your spaceship waiting.
A tragic accident involving a steamroller.