Tice £91,000 tax row is ‘minor administrative error’, party claims
Reform UK Defends Tice’s Tax Handling
Reform UK has defended its deputy leader Richard Tice, stating that a recent tax dispute involving his property firm was “a minor administrative error.” The controversy centers on Quidnet REIT Limited, the company Tice established, which reportedly missed paying £91,000 in taxes before distributing dividends to him and his Jersey-based trust, as highlighted by the Sunday Times.
Labour Criticizes the Tax Dispute
Labour has labeled the incident a “major scandal” that undermines Tice’s integrity and credibility. The party’s chair, Anna Turley, recently requested HMRC to investigate Tice’s tax affairs after the Sunday Times claimed he avoided nearly £600,000 in corporation tax via his property company.
“We neither confirm nor deny investigations and we cannot comment on identifiable individuals,” said a HMRC spokesperson.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, acknowledged the issue as “a minor administrative error” but dismissed it as a “non story.” She explained that any shortfall in the company’s tax payments would be offset by Tice personally covering the difference through income tax. “So it does look like HMRC netted off in the same way,” Yusuf added.
Tice’s Response to the Allegations
In a post on X, Tice argued that the Sunday Times’s report showed “overall HMRC received the correct amount of tax due.” He contended that the paper was effectively criticizing him for paying more tax than legally required, rather than highlighting his company’s role in the process. At a Westminster press conference, Tice emphasized that Quidnet REIT Limited operated under UK laws and was “a UK company paying UK tax.” He questioned the necessity of paying the maximum tax possible, stating: “How many friends of yours would voluntarily choose to pay more tax than they are legally obliged to do?”
“How many friends of yours would voluntarily choose to pay more tax than they are legally obliged to do?”
Tice further suggested that the idea of always paying the highest possible tax could harm the UK’s economy. “The road to ruin for the UK as an economy lies in expecting moral behavior beyond legal obligations,” he asserted.