Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List, reportedly due to a tax inquiry by HMRC.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. However, all three golfers were omitted this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European to do so. He also led Team Europe to its first away Ryder Cup victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name was not among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List. This list is first reviewed 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 intervened, similar to the past case with footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years for his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Deliberately Avoid Tax Payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013. These were initially considered legitimate tax reliefs by authorities. Later, HMRC ruled these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they misused the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to intentionally avoid tax payments. So far, there is no evidence that McIlroy deliberately sought to evade taxes.
Since HMRC has a say in knighthood decisions, such an investigation can lead to rejection. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have commented on the matter yet.