Knighthood for head of tax office pursuing Brexit donors

THE head of the tax office which is pursuing businessmen who bankrolled the Brexit campaign for millions of pounds in tax is knighted in the New Year Honours.

Edward Troup, a former adviser to Ken Clarke when he was chancellor, is made a knight “for services to taxpayers and the tax system”.

Sir Edward is the outgoing HMRC executive chairman who chairs the tax office’s board which is responsible for shaping the department’s strategy.

According to HMRC’S website he is also “as HMRC’S most senior tax professional, oversees the department’s relationship with HM Treasury and provides tax policy advice to ministers”.

Eight other tax officials honoured included Nora Houston, a senior delivery manager (OBE), and Shimon Fhima, programme director (MBE).

The Daily Telegraph disclosed last weekend that demands running into millions of pounds have been sent to at least three major donors to the Leave campaign, as well as a Remain donor.

The tax authorities had seized upon an area of inheritance tax law which forces people to pay the 20 per cent tax upfront on large “gifts”.

The demands will disproportionately hit Leave donors because various “out” campaigns were funded by entrepreneurs rather than mainstream publicly listed companies which tended to back Remain.