Despite historic 2025 successes, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to a HMRC tax review.
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, all three golfers were left out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam with a Masters win, 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 the “Big Apple.”
Despite these achievements, 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), the British tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and Monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to the delay faced by footballer David Beckham in receiving his knighthood years ago.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were legally considered tax relief schemes. However, HMRC later determined these to be tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether these projects exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to deliberately evade taxes. So far, there is no evidence suggesting McIlroy intended to avoid tax payments.
Since HMRC also influences knighthood decisions, any such suspicion or ongoing investigation can lead to rejection. Neither the Northern Irish golfer nor the British government has commented on this matter yet.