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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I think DH is hiding finances from me

120 replies

Shrewdone · 01/08/2012 02:48

i am married(10 yrs) and we have 3 kids (6,9,15) the oldest is from past relationship but real dad has never bothered.we used to have a joint bank account until our property business went bust in 2008 and my DH declared himself bankrupt.As I was a joint director of our company ( but DH made all financial deals and decisions) the huge debts that we had were also mine! DH begged me to go bankrupt but I refused. He constantly tried brow beating me into it saying that I am just prolonging the inevitable as they ( the banks/creditors) will come for me anyway and bankrupt me . I told him I would not go bankrupt and if they do then so be it( not a lot I could do). During his bankruptcy he could only have a basic bank account, and I had my own account. DH went back to work as an IT Consultant ( self employed). We lost our lovely home ( it was in his name only and he signed it as security against development finance) so this was repossessed by one of the creditors. He did this behind my back and I only found out when the s..t hit the fan ! We basically lost everything but are very lucky that he is able to earn a very high income as an IT consultant, which is what he was doing prior to setting up the property company.He has been discharged from bankruptcy ( approx 3 yrs) and has a limited company as an IT consultant. We still live in rented as cant get mortgage due to credit history.
My big problem is that he still has his own separate bank accounts both personal business and various savings accounts, which he opened a number of months ago. I honestly do not know how much he earns every month. He tells me it is around £120k per annum gross but I had a bad feeling he isn't being honest so I had a search through his desk and any paperwork and found some bank statements. From what I saw, basically you can double that figure he tells me ! I told him and he laughed at me and denied he earns more. I have insisted countless times that he gives me complete access at all times to the bank accounts but he just makes excuses. Once after a huge row about it he produced a spread sheet that he had made of In goings and outgoings and expected me to accept that !
He pays me an allowance each month which he puts through as a salary saying I work for his company. Over recent months I have had to ask for him to pay it into my account ( very demeaning ) ans he says he hasn't got any money as he has had to pay this and that and he can only give me so much now and more later in the month. This month I have had the same but I told him no and that I expect it paid in one payment as he had originally agreed. Our youngest are in private school so he said I can have my allowance/housekeeping but he will have to use money he put aside for school fees. I decided that his attempt at emotional blackmail will not work so I said OK.
I asked him why when he earns more than most people he is always pleading poverty ? He tried to blame me! Saying most of HIS money goes to me . I told him that this set up is no good and we should have joint accounts and that we are married and who ever earns it is OUR money and I shouldn't be made to go ask him and go through this all the time. I insisted that evening we sit down and he shows me all off his accounts online and pay statements so I can see what income there is and exactly where the money is going ( I have been through this conversation loads of times before). DH response was ' I haven't got time to do that so no '.
I am at my wits end with it because I can only think he has something to hide. and why does he not want me to see exactly why he earns ? The whole thing stinks and I don't know what to do to be honest.Also we rent a huge house in the country which costs loads to upkeep and is 2k per month rent. I hate living here as he works abroad all week and I get spooked as it is quite isolated. Me and the kids all want to,live in a regular size 4bed house in or near town but he refuses to live where I want and will not budge on it.

OP posts:
tallwivglasses · 01/08/2012 02:59

Erm, find a financial advisor? It sounds awful for you OP but I'm not the person to advise you

Sad

Or a solicitor maybe. See what your options are. I'd say get out befor it gets worse but that's instinct. All I've ever owed is a mortgage, an overdraft and a fiver to my mate. Debt scares the hell out of me.

Well done for not agreeing to go bankrupt, blimey.

tallwivglasses · 01/08/2012 03:04

Just took in the last bit of your post OP (it's quite...wordily dense, sorry) and I'm thinking, Oh Jesus just TELL him that's what you're doing - you and the kids are getting a 4-bed town house and when he comes round to the idea you might consider whether or not he can move in.

FairPlayPhyllis · 01/08/2012 03:50

I don't think I can give you any advice beyond seeing a solicitor or Citizen's Advice. I think others will be able to advise you better on specifics.

However if I'd nearly been bankrupted by a partner and lost my home due to him acting behind my back then, in the highly unlikely event that I stayed, a minimum condition would be that I had access to ALL financial information and that no decisions were taken without me. You have asked him many times to let you see the finances - I think the only way you are going to get that information now is to call his bluff and say you will leave him if he doesn't share the finances with you. But you have to mean it and be prepared to follow through. Otherwise you'll keep going around in this circle and not knowing what he is hiding.

I think you urgently need to find out whether he has taken on more debt (I agree that this is suspicious behaviour) and to reconsider whether you want to be with him. Because to be honest, the stuff you know about - making you ask for money and having already run up debt that you were jointly responsible for without your knowledge - is already financially abusive. Combined with with the secrecy now and forcing you to live somewhere you hate, he sounds like a dreadful partner.

CaliforniaLeaving · 01/08/2012 04:16

Aren't all the taxes he pays done as a married couple? Or are things that different in UK. Doesn't he have to do his UK taxes each year? Shouldn't you have access to that or have to sign them as a married couple?
I'd talk to a solicitor about what you can legally have access to knowing.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/08/2012 04:27

Firstly regards the first company - how was that behind you back? If you were company director would you not know what you're liable for, what state the business is in and what finance is secured against?

Secondly regards the finances now YABU. I'd be livid if my DH kept demanding to have access to my bank account.

But thirdly, this is a load of crap isn't it, just a badly, barely disguised stealth boast. I mean who the fuck cares how much your DH earns or how much rent you pay???

justaboutiswarm · 01/08/2012 04:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SundaeGirl · 01/08/2012 04:46

Squidgy - Hmm er, who fuck cares?! the Op cares, that's why she's posting.

OP, this sounds a long way from a stealth boast to me. it sounds horrendous. Your DH is being unreasonably controlling. I guess he also has things to hide.

Can you take a 'relationship' approach rather than a 'financial' approach? Say it's Causing you to lose respect for him and that your togetherness is being threaten by his lack of transparency?

You need to do more snooping when he's out IMO.

justaboutiswarm · 01/08/2012 04:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MackerelOfFact · 01/08/2012 04:50

If he works away during the week and you suspect him of siphoning off up to half his income, alarm bells would be ringing for me I'm afraid. Is your relationship good apart from the money issues?

FWIW I think the rent and salary are pretty relevant in the content of the post, SquidgyBiscuits!

MackerelOfFact · 01/08/2012 04:50

*context

JeezyPeeps · 01/08/2012 07:18

How did you manage to avoid bankruptcy with huge joint debts that would have become your responsibility and, apparantly, no income?

I'm not sure that this rings true because of that, but I am open to the possibility that you have managed to pay these debts.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 01/08/2012 07:25

OP my DH is an IT Consultant and we have our own Ltd company.

We are 50/50 shareholders and I am the primary signatory on our business account.
Your set up sounds dodgy and inefficient for tax. HMRC take a dim view of a partner drawing a salary where they aren't doing any work, and if he split the shareholding then you would take home more as a couple.

Please tell me he has a decent accountant?

Dprince · 01/08/2012 07:44

Hmm, some thing not right here. I am a director of dhs limited company. Our accountant told me as a spouse, I (especially) needed a defined role that I carried out to justify any 'wage' I may get.
The account told us that, as pp said , spouse drawing wages and not working is viewed very badly and something they will pick up on.

whois · 01/08/2012 07:50

Aside from your dp sounding like a right cock, you are actually commotion tax evasion which is illigal.

whois · 01/08/2012 07:55

this site has some good info on abiding by the tax rules.

IvanaHumpalot · 01/08/2012 08:00

Your DH should have an accountant to sign off the books and do his returns. Could you try and find his/her details? You could also employ another to audit - tell DH you are unhappy and worried and want peace of mind.

DPrince is correct, HMRC take a very dim view of this. Also, is your DH paying your tax and NI? If not, he (as your employer) will be fined by the day.

I would really get an independent accountant to look into this. HMRC are helpful, but brutal if you take the piss.

pinkdelight · 01/08/2012 08:46

I can't work out - do you work at all or is the money he gives you for 'housekeeping' as a SAHM? If I were you, I'd be keen to earn my own money so I wouldn't have to rely on being kept by someone who was clearly unreliable. It would also give you more say in where you live and the financial arrangements. That said, you should be able to choose where you live if you and the kids both want one thing and it's only him who wants the current house, even though he's hardly there. It sounds to me like the lines of authority/responsibility are blurred because he, as the breadwinner, feels like he's ultimately in charge.

wigglybeezer · 01/08/2012 09:01

I'm a joint director of a company with DH , I get dividends which I use as housekeeping, I have in the past taken a small salary but only when contributing some work.
The sale of the house could have paid of the creditors so that the OP is not liable for any big debts.
DH and I do not have a joint account but we have total financial transparency.
California, tax returns are filed individually here, not jointly.
It does smell fishy to me, more digging required.

Toughasoldboots · 01/08/2012 09:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CakeMeIAmYours · 01/08/2012 09:22

I'm afraid this would be the end of the relationship for me. He doesn't have any respect for you, it must be very difficult to live with that knowledge.

He sounds like he's quite determined to keep you in the dark though. I'd suggest (ostensibly) backing off completely then snooping becoming more subtle in your search for this information. I think you're well within your rights to obtain it btw, married couples should have completely joint and transparent finances IMO.

Re the 'stealth boast' accusations, this really pisses me off. Why shouldn't she post about her situation? I worry that posters like squidgybiscuit's will put MNers with high income households off posting about what are very genuine and real issues. Who made MN the preserve of the skint?

WhereYouLeftIt · 01/08/2012 09:36

" I insisted that evening we sit down and he shows me all off his accounts online and pay statements so I can see what income there is and exactly where the money is going ( I have been through this conversation loads of times before). DH response was ' I haven't got time to do that so no '."
Well, he can't use the 'time' excuse to give you his passwords, can he?

I'd start considering how much maintenance he would have to pay if you separated, and work out what you could afford to rent from that. Present it to him as the only alternative to him being honest with you and stopping buggering around with the money.

And start househunting for something you and the children want to live in.

RedHelenB · 01/08/2012 10:20

Get a job. Sounds like a split is on the cards & there are no assets so you will be supporting your kids as by the sounds of it he will cook the books to avoid paying large amounts of maintenance. Or live with it. But as he earns the money & doesn't want to share what he earns with you , there is no way to "make him".

As a now single parent I would never ever give up financial control to anyone & hope my children will always earn their own money, even if part time, when they live with someone.

cozietoesie · 01/08/2012 10:40

I'm with CakeMe on this. Your current and possible future situation would be intolerable for me.

I'd also back off ostensibly and then become more 'subtle' in searching for knowledge. It's all very well telling him you want to see accounts and have passwords etc but - if you don't know they exist in the first place, he can get round telling you about them.

I'd also be seeing a solicitor fast for an initial consultation. (They're frequently free.) Get a 'terrier' solicitor if you can find one.

lololizzy · 01/08/2012 10:48

I feel for you....but...I would never, ever be financially reliant on another.
This is why I feel all women should be financially independent.
Read about this sort of thing too much on mumsnet..'he gives me an allowance' etc. I could never live like that, I would rather be skint and working (which is how I am...live with DP and work on minimum wage, but it's my money, and I've always been able to look after myself.
Hope you work it out

DappyHays · 01/08/2012 11:13

Just Google the company name and you'll get the financial details. All Ltd companies are listed.

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