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                                                                       EXHIBIT 8


                          [SIDLEY & AUSTIN LETTERHEAD]


                                January 22, 2001



Household Capital Trust VI
Household International, Inc.
2700 Sanders Road
Prospect Heights, IL 60070

     Re:  Household Capital Trust VI
          Trust Preferred Securities


Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Reference is made to the Registration Statement on Form S-3, (Registration
numbers 333-53862 and 333-53862-01) including all amendments thereto, filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission by Household International, Inc. ("HII")
and Household Capital Trust VI (the "Trust") and the preliminary prospectus (the
"Preliminary Prospectus") included in the Registration Statement.

     We have acted as special tax counsel to HII and the Trust in connection
with the Preliminary Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement.

     In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have examined the Preliminary
Prospectus and such other documents as we have deemed relevant and
necessary, including, without limitation, the Declaration of Trust, the Form of
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, the Indenture, and the Form of
Supplemental Indenture attached as Exhibits to the Registration Statement. Such
opinion is conditioned, among other things, upon the accuracy and completeness
of the facts, information and representations contained in the Preliminary
Prospectus as of the date hereof and the continuing accuracy and completeness
thereof as of the date of the issuance of the Trust Preferred Securities (the
"Trust Preferred Securities") described in the Registration Statement. We have
assumed that such other documents will be enforceable and the Trust valid under
applicable state law, that the transactions contemplated by the Preliminary
Prospectus and such other documents will occur as provided therein, and that
there will be no material change to the Preliminary Prospectus or any of such
other documents between the date hereof and the date of the issuance of the
Trust Preferred Securities.

     The statements contained in the Preliminary Prospectus under the heading
"Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences" to the extent they
constitute matters
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Sidley & Austin                                                          Chicago


Household Capital Trust VI
Household International, Inc.
January 22, 2001
Page 2


of federal income tax law or legal conclusions with respect thereto, have been
prepared or reviewed by us and, in our opinion, are correct in all material
respects. We hereby affirm to you the opinions attributed to us under such
heading in the Preliminary Prospectus.

     This opinion letter is limited to the matters stated herein and no opinion
is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to this Firm under the caption
"Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences" and "Legal Matters" in
the Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.

     This opinion is rendered as of the date hereof based on the law and facts
in existence on the date hereof, and we do not undertake, and hereby disclaim,
any obligation to advise you of any changes in law or fact, whether or not
material, which may be brought to our attention at a later date.


                                                  Very truly yours,


                                                  /s/ SIDLEY & AUSTIN