Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to a pending HMRC tax review.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, also English. However, all three golfers were passed over this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a Masters win, becoming the first European to do so. He also helped Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at the Ryder Cup held at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which undergoes review first by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the British tax authority, before submission to the Prime Minister and Monarch. According to a report by the Telegraph, HMRC reportedly intervened, similar to what happened with footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years for his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Tax Payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were legal tax relief schemes recognized by authorities. HMRC later decided these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the scheme known as the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” was exploited to deliberately evade taxes. So far, there is no evidence suggesting McIlroy intended to avoid tax payments.
Since HMRC also plays a role in decisions regarding knighthoods, such an investigation can lead to rejection of the honor. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have commented on the matter.