Richard Tice Tax Row: Reform UK Claims 'Minor Administrative Error' Over £91,000 Levy

A dispute concerning an unpaid £91,000 tax levy by Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice's property company, Quidnet REIT Limited, has been labelled a "minor administrative error" by his party. The Sunday Times reported that the company, founded and owned by Mr Tice, allegedly failed to pay the required 20% levy on dividends before distributing profits to Mr Tice and his offshore trust registered in Jersey.

Mr Tice described the failure as a "technicality", asserting that "overall HMRC received the correct amount of tax due". Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, elaborated, suggesting that any underpayment by the company would have been offset by an overpayment in income tax by Mr Tice himself, implying HMRC ultimately received the correct sum.

Labour Demands Answers

In contrast, Labour has condemned the situation as "a major scandal which goes to the heart of Richard Tice's integrity and credibility". A spokesperson for the party stated, "Richard Tice urgently needs to explain whether his business followed the law and paid the full tax it owed." This follows a previous request by Labour last month for HMRC to investigate Mr Tice's tax affairs after separate allegations emerged regarding nearly £600,000 in avoided corporation tax.

HMRC maintains its policy of neither confirming nor denying investigations into identifiable individuals. Mr Tice has previously defended Quidnet REIT Ltd, stating it is a "UK company paying UK tax in accordance with UK laws" and questioned why individuals would voluntarily pay more tax than legally obliged.