Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC tax review is reportedly blocking his knighthood.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, along with Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England, was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III. However, all three golfers were passed over this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European 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 New York City.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was absent from the 1157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List. The list undergoes review by the Cabinet Office and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and the Monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened similarly as they did in former footballer David Beckham’s knighthood, delaying the honor by several years.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
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 reliefs at the time. However, HMRC later ruled these projects constituted tax avoidance and are currently investigating whether McIlroy exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately avoid taxes. There is no current evidence suggesting McIlroy intended to evade taxes.
HMRC’s role in knighthood decisions means such investigations can lead to refusal of the honor. Neither McIlroy nor the UK government has commented on the matter so far.