Ricky Gervais has revealed why he might finally marry his longtime partner, Jane Fallon, after 44 years together. But rather than romance, the 65-year-old comedian pointed to inheritance tax as a possible motivation.
Ricky Gervais says inheritance tax could be the reason he finally marries his longtime partner Jane Fallon
In an interview with Saga Magazine, Gervais said their decision to marry is driven by tax reasons rather than romance. “It is. And that will be the reason I marry. We haven’t done it yet,” he said. “But if it wasn’t for [tax]… why? It’s mad. How much more married can you be? We share all our money; we’ve been living together for 40 years. Some marriages don’t last a year.”
During a January episode of the Second Act podcast with Ateh Jewel, Fallon shared her thoughts. She said, “When I was little, you know the cliché of a little girl is that they imagine their wedding day and their wedding dress… it was none of that, ever. I would think about getting a dog or something. It was always about work and my life. I would think about the flat that I would live in and stuff like that.”
Gervais and Fallon, both 65, have been together since they first met as students at University College London in 1982. The couple began living together in 1984, but they never married or welcomed children. In March, Fallon announced on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent two surgeries, both of which she said “went well.”
Gervais, who created The Office, and Fallon, a television producer and bestselling novelist, have a combined estimated fortune of roughly $192 million. Gervais reportedly has a net worth of $190.6 million, while Fallon’s stands at around $1.76 million.
As per The Sun, the inheritance tax can take 40 percent of an estate’s taxable assets when its value exceeds $440,000. The UK’s spousal exemption does not automatically apply to unmarried couples. Married couples and civil partners can generally pass their estates to a surviving partner without Inheritance Tax.
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