Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to an HMRC tax investigation.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England. However, none of these golfers received honours this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, the first European ever to do so. He also shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away win since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was missing from 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), the UK tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and Monarch. According to a report by the British “Telegraph,” HMRC intervened similarly to what happened in the past with footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years for knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy deliberately avoid tax payments?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax relief schemes and recognized as such by authorities. Later, HMRC decided these projects amounted to tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the schemes exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” to deliberately evade taxes. There is currently no evidence suggesting McIlroy intentionally avoided tax payments.
Since HMRC is involved in decisions regarding knighthoods, such an investigation may lead to refusal. Neither Rory McIlroy nor the UK government have commented on this matter so far.