Despite historic 2025 successes, Rory McIlroy is missing from the New Year’s Honours List due to an HMRC tax review.
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III in 2025, alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England. However, none of the three golfers were honored this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, becoming the first European to do so. He also excelled at the 2025 Ryder Cup, securing the first away win for Team Europe since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1,157 recipients 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 British tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and the monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to what happened with footballer David Beckham’s delayed knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy deliberately avoid tax payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in 2013 in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield, which were initially considered legal tax reliefs. However, HMRC later determined these projects involved tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they misused the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to evade tax payments deliberately. There is currently no evidence suggesting McIlroy intentionally tried to avoid taxes.
Since HMRC plays a role in knighthood decisions, such an investigation can lead to rejection. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have commented on the matter so far.