Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC tax review is set to block the knighthood for now.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a frontrunner for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who also hails from England. However, all three golfers missed out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European to do so. He also shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near the Big Apple.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was absent from the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is initially reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before submission to the Prime Minister and monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to when footballer David Beckham faced delays in receiving his knighthood due to tax scrutiny.
Did Rory McIlroy Deliberately Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were initially considered legal tax relief efforts by authorities. Later, HMRC determined these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately evade taxes. At present, there is no evidence suggesting McIlroy intentionally sought to avoid tax payments.
However, since HMRC influences knighthood decisions, such an investigation can lead to rejection. Neither McIlroy nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.