Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List due to an HMRC tax probe.
North Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, becoming the first European to do so, and helped Team Europe secure their first away Ryder Cup win since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name was absent from the list of 1,157 honorees, which is first 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 British Telegraph report, HMRC intervened similarly as during David Beckham’s delayed knighthood due to tax matters.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
Recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were initially considered legitimate tax reliefs. HMRC later reclassified these as tax avoidance schemes and is investigating whether the ‘Business Premises Renovation Allowance’ was exploited to deliberately evade taxes. Currently, there is no evidence McIlroy intended to avoid taxes.
Because HMRC has influence in knighthood decisions, such investigations can cause honors to be withheld. Neither McIlroy nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.