Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List amid an HMRC tax investigation.
North Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England, but all three golfers missed out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European ever 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 New York City.
However, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is first reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before being presented to the Prime Minister and the monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to when footballer David Beckham had to wait years for his knighthood due to tax issues.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban regeneration projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were initially considered legal tax reliefs by authorities. Later, HMRC classified these projects as tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the ‘Business Premises Renovation Allowance’ scheme was exploited to deliberately evade taxes. There is currently no evidence that McIlroy intended to avoid paying taxes.
Because HMRC has a say in knighthood decisions, such investigations or suspicions can lead to rejection. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have yet commented on the matter.