Rishi Sunak

Morning everyone. I'm Martin Farrer and these are the stories you need to know about today. Rishi Sunak's multimillionaire wife claims non-domicile status, ...

The Guardian has that story on the front but leads with “PM’s push for nuclear power splits Tories and angers green groups”, while the Times also has a picture of the chancellor and his wife but leads with “UK to send armoured vehicles to aid Ukraine”. The Telegraph has a powerful dispatch from Ukraine and the headline “‘What is this pit?’ I asked. They said: ‘This is a graveyard for you’”, while the FT goes with “Western allies impose harshest sanctions yet on Russian banks”. The Express leads with “Thank you PM! Sports stars back Boris in trans row”, and the Mail also leads with that controversy and the headline “Finally, a voice of common sense”. The FTSE100 is going to take a hit of around 0.25% this morning. Ukraine latest – Volodymyr Zelenskiy says new sanctions by the west against Russia do not go far enough and will be seen by invading forces as a “permission to attack”, as fears of an assault on the east of the country intensify and civilians still there were urged to leave “while the opportunity still exists”. The deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said the authorities would “not be able to help” residents who stayed behind once large-scale fighting erupted. The number of people who had ever claimed non-dom status in the UK rose from 162,000 in 2001 to 238,000 in 2018. Anticipation is mounting in Augusta about Tiger Woods’ return to the Masters later today, and it’s also the return today of cricket’s County Championship. And rugby lost one of its greats yesterday with the passing of Scotland and Lions prop Tom Smith from cancer at the age of 50. Everton’s relegation woes worsened with a 3-2 defeat Burnley, who are now just one point afrift of the Merseysiders. Eric ten Hag is confident of becoming Manchester United’s next manager after talks with the club. Tulip Siddiq, the shadow economic secretary to the treasury, said Sunak should explain how much tax his family saved while “he was putting taxes up for millions of working families”. The non-domicile status is legal and can be used to avoid paying UK tax on income from overseas rents and bank interest as well as foreign dividends. The strategy will enrage environmentalists, who say the government’s plans are in defiance of its own net zero targets and neglect alternative measures that experts say would provide much quicker relief from high energy bills. The PM said yesterday that he does not “think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events”. More than 50,000 people in the top income bracket account for 6% of all earnings. Rishi Sunak’s multimillionaire wife claims non-domicile status, it has emerged, which allows her to save millions of pounds in tax on dividends collected from her family’s IT business empire.

The Chancellor declared his wife's status to the Government but did not publicly disclose the fact that she is domiciled abroad.

This is yet another example of the Tories thinking it is one rule for them, another for everyone else. “So, according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously.

Most people who live in the UK are required to pay tax on all their income, irrespective of its source.

Mr Johnson said: “We must be there for our NHS in the same way that it is there for us. Contrary to Mr Sunak’s protestations, the pecuniary interests of spouses are a matter of legitimate public interest are also addressed in the ministerial code. So, I think everything is in order in that way.” So, according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. A spokesperson for Ms Murthy said: “Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parent’s home. The status also means a person avoids UK inheritance tax.

Tax status allows Akshata Murthy to avoid tax on foreign earnings.

Under current law, Murthy will automatically be deemed domiciled after living in the UK for 15 years. Sunak’s net favourability is down 24 points since just before his spring statement on 23 March, to minus 29, according to a YouGov survey. This is yet another example of the Tories thinking it is one rule for them, another for everyone else. So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. Under UK tax laws, Murthy’s status as a non-dom would mean she would not have had to pay tax on the dividend payment from overseas companies. By contrast, UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend payouts.

R. ishi Sunak's wife has defended her non-domicile status after it was claimed she could have saved millions by not paying UK tax on foreign income. The ...

“So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously. “It is staggering that, at the same time, his family may have been benefitting from tax reduction schemes.

The Independent said that Ms Murty had used the status to save on her tax bill as recently as April 2020, when her husband was already chancellor.

My wife is not." The Liberal Democrats added that the chancellor "needs to come clean about which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven". Sky News understands that the Treasury was already aware of Ms Murty's tax status and that she pays foreign taxes on her foreign income. "She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income." Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty "has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income", her spokeswoman has said after a report she had claimed non-domicile status. The Independent said that Ms Murty had used the status to save on her tax bill as recently as April 2020, when her husband was already chancellor.

Business secretary says Akshata Murthy and her husband, Rishi Sunak, have been 'incredibly transparent'

“And she’s been very transparent about that. And I think we should move on from that story.” Under UK tax laws, her status as a non-dom means she would not have had to pay tax on the dividend payment from overseas companies. And I think, as far as I’m concerned, that’s good enough for me. “What I do know is that she’s been very clear about the fact that she’s an Indian citizen. UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend payouts.

A spokeswoman for Akshata Murty said she pays UK tax on all of her UK income.

But Labour said: “The Chancellor has imposed tax hike after tax hike on the British people. The newspaper claims the status could have saved the Chancellor’s wife millions of pounds in tax on foreign earnings, but a spokeswoman for Ms Murty said she has always paid UK taxes on her UK income. Rishi Sunak’s wife has defended her non-domicile status after it was claimed she could have saved millions by not paying UK tax on foreign income.

The Chancellor has been married to Ms Murty, the daughter of an Indian tech billionaire, since 2009.

This is yet another example of the Tories thinking it is one rule for them, another for everyone else. “So, according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. “You can give up your domicile of origin, which you inherited from your father,” he said. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously. It was introduced to keep wealthy colonialists who made their money abroad happy, as they were financially supporting the British Empire. Non-dom status is only available to British residents who claim that their “domicile” – the centre of their personal and financial interests – is outside the UK.

Rishi Sunak's wife has defended her non-domicile status after it was claimed she could have saved millions of pounds by not paying UK tax on foreign income. A ...

However, if you work in both the UK and abroad, you don't have to pay tax on foreign income or gains - even those brought to the UK - if you are entitled to a "foreign workers' exemption".You only qualify for an exemption if: Or pay an annual charge of £30,000 if you have been a UK resident for at least seven of the previous nine tax years, and £60,000 for at least 12 of the previous 14 tax years. You can then either pay UK tax on them, or claim the "remittance basis" which means you only pay UK tax on the income or gains you bring to the UK, but: According to HMRC, you do not pay UK tax on your foreign income or gains if they’re less than £2,000 in the tax year, or you do not bring them to the UK, for example by transferring them to a British bank account. UK residents whose permanent home ("domicile") is outside of the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance. And although Ms Murty, who is believed to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, is still liable for UK tax on income made in this country, she does not have to pay UK tax on foreign income unless it is brought into the UK.

The non-domiciled tax status of Chancellor Rishi Sunak's wife is "absolutely right", a government minister insisted on Thursday as he was forced to defend ...

But her non-dom tax status means she would not have had to pay UK tax on the dividend at a rate of 38.1 per cent. Ms Murthy owned less than five per cent of the company. Her billionaire father N.R Narayana Murthy founded the IT services company, Infosys, which is one of India's biggest firms. The country does not allow its nationals to hold dual citizenship. She said she pays all the tax that she is legally required to in the UK. The status means Akshata Murthy, whose personal fortune is estimated to be more than £400m making her one of the wealthiest women in Britain, does not legally have to pay UK tax on income she earns abroad.

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Murthy, who is a director at the business, has a 4.5 per cent stake in the firm. The Times reported in February 2020 that Murthy has a stake in her father’s IT company that is worth £185million. She added: "I believe we live in a materialistic society, and over the last few decades it has become easier to sell products to a wide audience, given the advent of globalisation." She is the daughter of the sixth-richest man in India, billionaire N.R Narayana Murthy. Ms Murty, the fashion-designer daughter of a billionaire who married the Chancellor in 2009, insisted she pays taxes on all UK income and said the set-up is required because she is an Indian citizen. Akshata Murty, estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, confirmed the arrangement that means she is not legally entitled to pay tax in Britain on foreign income.

However, experts disputed this. England v India – cinch Second Test – Day One – Lord's Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, watch a Test match at ...

“Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents’ home,” the spokeswoman said. “I think she’s been very clear, she’s been very transparent, the Chancellor’s been very transparent, and this non-dom status has been part of the UK tax system for more than 200 years,” he told BBC Breakfast. “I think there is a legitimate public question about whether that is the right decision because he’s the guy asking us to pay more in taxes,” he told BBC Breakfast. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Mr Sunak to “come clean” about “which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven”. Mr Kwarteng said the Chancellor’s wife pays tax “abroad” but was unable to say where when asked if she pays all foreign tax in India or in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended the arrangement as “in order” as he hit out at the scrutiny of Ms Murty’s finances as “completely unfair”. But he was unable to rule out whether the status is being used to reduce tax.

Latest updates: Ed Miliband calls for clarity over Akshata Murthy's UK tax status; government's new energy strategy criticised.

Instead of offering the help families need, the Conservatives seem happy for people’s record energy bills to get even higher. The study found that more than 93% of non-doms were born abroad, coming mainly from the US, India – of which Murty is a citizen – and western Europe, especially France, Germany and Italy, the study found. The accommodation and food service activities industry reported the largest proportion of businesses noting rising energy prices as their main concern, at 35%. In five of the most affluent council wards they accounted for more than a quarter of residents. But we need to start the planning process and the strategy now. Domicile has nothing to do with a person’s nationality. Under UK tax laws, Murty’s status as a non-dom means she would not have to pay tax on dividend payments from overseas companies. So too was a policy proposal to exempt the poorest homes from having to repay the rebate. Why are there no extra measures to support consumers in insulating their homes? I know it is a subject she feels passionately about. UK resident taxpayers pay a 38.1% tax on dividend payouts. And that’s what this security strategy is all about.

Akshata Murthy, daughter of an Indian billionaire and wife of the UK Chancellor Rishi Suank, is facing questions after it emerged she is non-domiciled for ...

Prof Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK added: “She can give up the claim to be non-domiciled at any time. “Making no strong ties with the UK is another way of proving this is not your domicile. So too is retaining strong ties with the country you claim to be your place of domicile. If it were, it would involve unjustifiable intrusion into the private affairs not only of Ministers, but of their close family. If you’re a freelancer you could choose not to claim some expenses - but who would do that?” The British public deserves to know how much he and his family have saved on their own tax bill.” George Turner, executive director of TaxWatch UK, explained: “What she’s doing is not tax avoidance or some dodgy scheme. It’s understood Ms Murthy pays foreign taxes on her foreign income. You can be a UK citizen and a non-dom.” “So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. “That’s a fact, and there is not much she can do about that really. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously.

Ms Murty, the fashion-designer daughter of a billionaire, who married the Chancellor in 2009, insists she pays taxes on all UK income and said the set-up is ...

“Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents’ home,” the spokeswoman said. “I think she’s been very clear, she’s been very transparent, the Chancellor’s been very transparent, and this non-dom status has been part of the UK tax system for more than 200 years,” he told BBC Breakfast. “I think there is a legitimate public question about whether that is the right decision because he’s the guy asking us to pay more in taxes,” he told BBC Breakfast. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Mr Sunak to “come clean” about “which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven”. Mr Kwarteng said the Chancellor’s wife pays tax “abroad” but was unable to say where when asked if she pays all foreign tax in India or in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended the arrangement as “in order” as he hit out at the scrutiny of Ms Murty’s finances as “completely unfair”. But he was unable to rule out whether the status is being used to reduce tax.

Decision to block further help for poorest households heaps pressure on the Chancellor.

The document states: “Onshore wind is currently the second cheapest form of electricity generation. But Tory backbenchers warned he would risk further unrest in the Commons, amid fears it would spoil the UK countryside. The document states: “We could boost the recently announced rebate scheme. So too was a policy proposal to exempt the poorest homes from having to repay the rebate. There are three options: a) Increase the amount of the rebate e.g. from £200 to £500 or more – either for all or just for fuel poor households; b) Delay the point at which the rebate has to be repaid and/or extend the repayment period – again either for all or targeted at the fuel poor; c) Exempt at least some fuel poor households from all or some repayment.” An earlier draft of the energy security strategy drawn up by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s department and obtained by i included measures to increase the £200 energy rebate to “£500 or more” for either all households or just “fuel poor” homes.

However, experts disputed this. England v India – cinch Second Test – Day One – Lord's Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, watch a Test match at ...

“Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents’ home,” the spokeswoman said. “I think she’s been very clear, she’s been very transparent, the Chancellor’s been very transparent, and this non-dom status has been part of the UK tax system for more than 200 years,” he told BBC Breakfast. “I think there is a legitimate public question about whether that is the right decision because he’s the guy asking us to pay more in taxes,” he told BBC Breakfast. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Mr Sunak to “come clean” about “which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven”. Mr Kwarteng said the Chancellor’s wife pays tax “abroad” but was unable to say where when asked if she pays all foreign tax in India or in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended the arrangement as “in order” as he hit out at the scrutiny of Ms Murty’s finances as “completely unfair”. But he was unable to rule out whether the status is being used to reduce tax.

Chancellor rejected rethink of £200 'heat now, pay later' loan – despite fears it will pile up further debt.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The price cap on annual domestic bills leapt by almost £700 this month, to nearly £2000 – and is expected to soar by up to a further £1,000 in the autumn. The chancellor was urged to rethink a £200 loan that households will receive in the autumn – amid widespread criticism that the “heat now, pay later” scheme will pile up further debt.

According to leaked documents seen by the i newspaper, a draft of the energy security strategy included a measure to increase the existing £200 rebate on gas ...

The revelation piles more pressure on the chancellor who has been criticised for not doing enough in his spring statement for households hit by the cost of living crisis. The document reportedly said: “We could boost the recently announced rebate scheme. There are three options: a) Increase the amount of the rebate e.g. from £200 to £500 or more – either for all or just for fuel poor households; b) Delay the point at which the rebate has to be repaid and/or extend the repayment period – again either for all or targeted at the fuel poor; c) Exempt at least some fuel poor households from all or some repayment.”

The daughter of an Indian billionaire, Ms Murty has a multi-million-pound stake in her father's firm and several UK businesses and properties. She was born in ...

To claim that you are no longer domiciled in the UK, you have to produce evidence about your background, lifestyle, and future plans. “If I was a tax inspector… But the bulk of Ms Murty’s wealth is understood to come from her father’s business. “If you state in a tax return that your intention is to live in the UK and you’re not going to go back to your country of origin, you will be considered British for tax purposes and you’ll lose your domicile of origin,” he said. However, if you move abroad and intend to live there long term, that would become your domicile. It doesn’t matter,” he said. Outside of the capital, the LSE found that the largest non-dom presence is in the Home Counties, the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge, and in Aberdeen, which has a large petrochemicals industry. There are probably over a million Indians who are Indian citizens in the UK who are not non-doms… Professor Murphy also suggested that her claims to be domiciled in India, rather than the UK, could be dubious because of her close ties to the UK. She owns several homes in the UK, works in British businesses and is married to someone whose career is exclusively UK-based. She is not publicly known to have a property in India. According Richard Murphy, a professor of accounting practice at the University of Sheffield who writes extensively on tax, there is “no relationship” between citizenship and domicile and it is “not credible” to suggest that Ms Murty was forced to take non-dom status because of this. “Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents’ home,” her spokeswoman said. The daughter of an Indian billionaire, Ms Murty has a multi-million-pound stake in her father’s firm and several UK businesses and properties.

Tax lawyers dismissed Ms Murty's claim that her non-dom status – revealed by The Independent – is a consequence of her Indian citizenship.

A Treasury spokesperson said: “The chancellor provided a full list of all relevant interests when he first became a minister in 2018, as required by the ministerial code. They added that it is also relevant to policy for international trade, in regard to tax advice being part of professional and financial services. The spokesperson has also declined to disclose whether she is domiciled for tax purposes in India or takes advantage of tax havens. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. This would confirm her status to be an “active choice”, Labour said. She’s not a British citizen.

Not only is she far richer than the Queen, but Murty also owns almost as many properties.

Her father, NR Narayana Murthy, the billionaire founder of Infosys, said he was a “little sad and jealous” when Akshata first told him of her new life partner. When we went on the site visit you could clearly see the manor house from where we were stood.” Both New & Lingwood and Digme furloughed staff during the pandemic. However at the planning meeting last year, the councillor John Noone said: “It doesn’t look like an agricultural building to me, it looks like a rather large bungalow. It was at Stanford that she met Sunak, who had won a prestigious Fulbright scholarship. Non-doms can live in the UK all year round. The building project includes a 40ft by 16ft indoor pool, changing area, hot tub and dance room with a mirrored wall. Soroco, a software company co-founded by her brother, lists Murty as a director of its UK arm. Both Murty and Sunak are fitness fanatics, who have spoken of dawn workouts before work every day. The Resolution Foundation thinktank suggested Sunak’s package of measures would push 1.3 million people, including 500,000 children, into poverty. That makes her much richer than the Queen, who has about £365m. Her spokesperson suggested that Murty, as an Indian citizen, had no choice but to be “treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes”. However, all UK residents must actively apply for non-dom status by filing in government tax form SA109 to claim the tax relief.

Rishi Sunak always knew it wouldn't last. When he was riding high as a new Chancellor, he was the most popular politician in the UK, regularly outscoring ...

The chatter that the Chancellor could even be reshuffled this summer to another job is a measure of just how deep the wounds are. Hollinrake was one of eight Tory rebels who objected to the Chancellor’s social care cap that will leave northern homeowners with bigger costs than people in the south. Yet there are some in Whitehall who also think that the die was cast for Sunak as soon as he agreed to the Health and Social Care Levy last September. “It basically killed off Rishi’s chances of ever being seen as a tax cutter,” one source said. Labour strategists say that they always knew that Sunak would end up as a liability because there was less to him than meets the eye. “We want to just expose the gap between the Prime Minister’s rhetoric and what his Government is delivering.” And two key snapshots of opinion this week confirmed what some Tory MPs are calling “the Sunak slide”. Yet even when he was at his most feted, Sunak himself was more than aware that it was only a matter of time before things would turn much tougher. Yet despite his protests, the criticism appeared to be validated when an Infosys source said it was “urgently shutting down its Russian operation”. Her spokeswoman said she pays all tax due in the UK, but Labour has called for “complete transparency” on exactly where she does pay overseas tax. But to many it confirmed how politically naive and tone deaf he was, not least as he said he had never claimed to be a “tax cutting Chancellor”. His appeal stemmed partly from his rapidly drafted furlough scheme that kept wages flowing in the pandemic, but also because he was a fresh face. Chancellors are not traditionally known for their spendthrift ways and the switch from Santa to Scrooge, as he tried to rein in borrowing, was always going to be a difficult transition.

The chancellor is learning who his friends are, and there are perhaps fewer in the cabinet than there once were, with his position now lonelier than ever.

Friends of Mr Sunak may rail and look for enemies, and ask if there is a coordinated campaign against him. He is learning who his friends are - fewer perhaps in the cabinet than once were. The chancellor has decided not to go to his Californian bolthole over this parliamentary recess, despite the speculation he might. Some have been canvassing whether the chance of even higher office is now dead. Yorkshire beckons again for him, having failed to get to the US over Christmas and complaints he desperately needs a holiday. The chancellor is learning who his friends are, and there are perhaps fewer in the cabinet than there once were, with his position now lonelier than ever.

The Chancellor was hit by a political backlash over the news that his heiress wife Akshata Murty is domiciled in India for tax purposes, despite living in a ...

Revelations about his wife's non-dom status are a PR calamity for him – and for us as a government.' But now the bill for his largesse has landed – and the electorate's patience has worn thin. It was in the mid-1980s, Infosys had just begun its operations and we did not have enough money to spend on non-basic goods. Allies of the Chancellor, 41, yesterday reacted furiously to 'unfair' criticism of his wife, saying that she is not a public figure. The status is often used by the super-wealthy to save thousands or even millions of pounds in tax. Non-dom status has been a feature of the British tax system for centuries and there is no suggestion that Miss Murty has done anything wrong, let alone illegal. She is also a director of a gym chain as well as New & Lingwood, the outfitter that supplies the tailcoats worn by Etonians and which also sells £2,750 silk dressing gowns. 'It's something I try to live by ... I'm always interested in getting the data, getting the facts.' But a number of tax and accounting experts have disputed this. She has a stake worth £690m in Indian IT giant Infosys and, since 2016, the firm has earned £15million working for the Care Quality Commission, which is the regulator of UK care homes. And every penny that she earns internationally, for example in India, she would pay the full taxes on that. She has investments and a career independent of me.

The Chancellor has not taken up an official's proposal - revealed in a leaked document - to more than double the repayable discount from £200 to £500.

It is understood the idea of raising the rebate beyond £200 is not dead forever, as the official had been asked for their ideas for the run-up to another energy bills spike on October 1. That could include “increase the amount of the rebate e.g. from £200 to £500 or more - either for all or just for fuel poor households”, said the paper obtained by the i newspaper. Rishi Sunak has been accused of blocking plans to more than double the £200 energy bills “rebate”.

A Mirror investigation has found the Murty family's vast Infosys business made tens of millions of pounds from British taxpayer-funded contracts, ...

If it now transpires that his wife has used schemes to reduce her own tax then that’s breathtaking hypocrisy and is more evidence of just how out of touch this Chancellor is.” Mr Sunak last month delivered a Spring Statement which failed to tackle the cost of living crisis. On Wednesday, her spokeswoman said because she is an Indian citizen and India does not allow dual citizenship, then “according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes”. It was founded by her dad Narayana Murty, has its HQ in India and is listed on the Indian and New York stock exchanges. Tax Justice UK executive director, Robert Palmer, said: “Ordinary people who face an increase to their national insurance contributions this week will be shocked to learn the Chancellor’s own wife is a non-dom. The Prime Minister dodged questions about Ms Murty’s tax affairs. Christine Jardine, Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman, said: “Infosys benefiting from millions in UK Government contracts raises serious questions. Since 2016, Infosys has earned £15million working for the Care Quality Commission, the regulator of UK care homes. Non-dom status is legal but I think we should be clear that non-dom status is used to... “Is it right that his immediate family is sheltering from UK taxes? Now it seems the Chancellor’s close family are personally benefiting from lucrative public contracts. Angela Rayner, Labour’s Deputy Leader, told the Mirror: “The British public deserve answers.

Mr Sunak said his wife had done nothing wrong in choosing a financial arrangement that means she is not legally obliged to pay tax in Britain on foreign income.

Rishi Sunak’s wife claims that she has to have non-dom status due to her Indian citizenship. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended his wife, billionaire Akshata Murty, over her tax-reducing non-domiciled status after Labour demanded answers whether he himself benefitted from her status. Some people do have tough decisions to make in these uncertain times. Labour is demanding that Rishi Sunak answer 12 key questions about his wife’s non-dom status, including whether he has benefited personally. Labour is demanding that Rishi Sunak answer 12 key questions about his wife’s non-dom status, including whether he has benefited personally. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended his wife, billionaire Akshata Murty, over her tax-reducing non-domiciled status after Labour demanded answers whether he himself benefitted from her status.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak alongside his wife Akshata Murthy. Ian West via PA Wire/PA Images. Rishi Sunak has defended his wife after it emerged ...

The chancellor said his partner “pays full UK tax on every penny that she earns here in the same way that she pays full international tax on every penny that she earns internationally”. “It feels like there’s a full-time briefing operation against him. Someone is trying to undermine his credibility.” “It’s clear that No 10 are the ones briefing against Rishi Sunak and, after his failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, you can understand why.” The chancellor said it was “unpleasant” to read attacks on his wife “especially when she hasn’t done anything wrong”. “He thinks it’s a total smear,” one ally said.

The Chancellor said his wife Akshata Murty had done nothing wrong.

The Chancellor said his partner “pays full UK tax on every penny that she earns here in the same way that she pays full international tax on every penny that she earns internationally”. Ms Murty pays an annual levy of £30,000 to the UK Government to keep her non-dom status, her spokeswoman confirmed. She is reported to hold a 0.91 per cent stake in Infosys, an IT business founded by her father, with The Guardian reporting that the share is worth £11.5 million per year to Mr Sunak’s wife. A No 10 spokeswoman said: “It is categorically untrue that No 10 is behind the briefings. He has blamed Labour for the “awful” smears against his family, but The Telegraph reported that unnamed allies of the Chancellor claimed the Prime Minister’s office were behind the leaks – an allegation No 10 and No 11 strongly denied. Rishi Sunak said his spouse Akshata Murty – who is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds – had done nothing wrong in choosing a financial arrangement that means she is not legally obliged to pay tax in Britain on foreign income.

The Chancellor claimed his wife was the victim of a smear campaign that was being used to 'get' to him.

“That does not, of course, mean it is ‘right’ or ethical.” “He is the UK Chancellor asking people to pay more in taxes. I think Rishi Sunak and his family should reflect on that,” he told Sky News. I’m really proud of what he’s achieved”. A No 10 spokeswoman told the PA news agency: “It is categorically untrue that No 10 is behind the briefings. Tax experts have argued that citizenship is not relevant to an individual’s tax status and that it is a choice to be a non-dom as it involves actively ticking a box on your tax return.

The tax-reducing status emerged on the day the Chancellor's national insurance increase came into effect.

“Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents’ home,” the spokeswoman said. “I think she’s been very clear, she’s been very transparent, the Chancellor’s been very transparent, and this non-dom status has been part of the UK tax system for more than 200 years,” he told BBC Breakfast. “I think there is a legitimate public question about whether that is the right decision because he’s the guy asking us to pay more in taxes,” he told BBC Breakfast. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Mr Sunak to “come clean” about “which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven”. Mr Kwarteng said the Chancellor’s wife pays tax “abroad” but was unable to say where when asked if she pays all foreign tax in India or in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended the arrangement as “in order” as he hit out at the scrutiny of Ms Murty’s finances as “completely unfair”. But he was unable to rule out whether the status is being used to reduce tax.

Most people who live in UK are required to pay tax on all income, irrespective of its source.

Rishi Sunak’s wife claims that she has to have non-dom status due to her Indian citizenship. “If there are bigger, more fundamental questions, about the non-dom status that is something for us, as a country, to debate. Germany has faced criticism from Ukraine and other European nations, including Poland, with claims it has been too slow to phase out Russian energy. Some people do have tough decisions to make in these uncertain times. The US has done the same. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defence select committee, said the current rules “are out of date” but insisted this did not mean the chancellor or his wife, Akshata Murty, had broken the law. It also means a person avoids UK inheritance tax. As the controversy grows, the chancellor has been urged to set out how much tax has been saved and how he has “ensured he is not involved in Treasury discussions” about the rules. Pushed on whether having non-dom tax status is an issue that has beleaguered the Tory party for “quite some time”, Mr Ellwood repeated: “If the rules as a whole need to be changed, let’s have that debate, but that’s away from Rishi Sunak’s wife and is more to do with the continuation of the non-dom status and the privileges that you gain from that.” “If the rules as a whole need to be changed, let’s have that debate, but that’s away from [Mr] Sunak’s wife and is more to do with the continuation of the non-dom status and the privileges that you gain from that.” A top Tory MP has suggested that the conversation around the non-dom tax status of Rishi Sunak’s wife distracts “from what we need to be focusing on”, referring to Ukraine.

Chancellor insists Akshata Murty has followed 'the letter of the law' and paid all taxes that were due in the UK.

But tax experts have said she must choose to seek the status each year. The prime minister and chancellor are united. the way that we lead our lives, I think, is going to be really important. I’ve got to be absolutely frank with you, there could be a new variant more deadly, there could be a variant that affects children, that we really need to contain, I’m not going to take any options off the table. You can contact me on Twitter ( @Nicola_Slawson) or via email ([email protected]) if you have any questions or think I’m missing something. I’m Nicola Slawson and I’ll be taking the lead today. The status will automatically cease once she has resided in Britain for 15 years, with her due to reach that milestone in 2028. The UK is not immune or exempt from those prices. She said that it is a “complete red herring what passport somebody has”, in reference to the fact that Akshata Murty is an Indian citizen. The rules around non-dom status “are out of date” and “they do need to be reviewed”, a former minister has said. But most of all is the support being provided by government and particularly the energy strategy where, in the medium to long term, we need to produce more of our own energy and more of that energy coming from low-carbon renewable sources and nuclear. But I don’t think it will happen.

The Chancellor blamed Labour for the 'awful' response, but his allies told newspapers they suspect No 10 of trying to undermine him.

Non-dom status means she would not have to pay UK tax at a rate of 39.35% on dividends. She pointed to the ministerial code mentioning the financial status of ministers’ spouses is relevant because “there can be a conflict of interest”. The US inland revenue says anyone who has a green card is treated as a lawful permanent resident and is considered a “US tax resident for US income tax purposes”. The Daily Telegraph quoted an ally of the Chancellor suggesting it is “all coming from No 10” because “Rishi’s the only credible show in town”. “Every single penny that she earns in the UK she pays UK taxes on, of course she does. Mr Sunak blamed Labour for the “awful” response, but his allies told newspapers they suspect No 10 of trying to undermine the Chancellor, who is seen as the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson in any leadership challenge.

Chancellor convinced leaking of wife's tax status is part of 'co-ordinated attack'

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Rishi Sunak has branded criticism of his wife as “unpleasant smears” targeted at him, as the UK chancellor faced further criticism for her non-dom tax ...

The Chancellor blamed Labour for the 'awful' response, but his allies told newspapers they suspect No 10 of trying to undermine him.

Non-dom status means she would not have to pay UK tax at a rate of 39.35% on dividends. She pointed to the ministerial code mentioning the financial status of ministers’ spouses is relevant because “there can be a conflict of interest”. The US inland revenue says anyone who has a green card is treated as a lawful permanent resident and is considered a “US tax resident for US income tax purposes”. The Daily Telegraph quoted an ally of the Chancellor suggesting it is “all coming from No 10” because “Rishi’s the only credible show in town”. “Every single penny that she earns in the UK she pays UK taxes on, of course she does. Mr Sunak blamed Labour for the “awful” response, but his allies told newspapers they suspect No 10 of trying to undermine the Chancellor, who is seen as the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson in any leadership challenge.

Ms Murty, who married the chancellor in 2009, has confirmed she paid £30,000 to hold non-dom status after The Independent revealed the arrangement earlier this ...

The Labour frontbencher added: “Would he have been involved in those discussions? Non-dom status means she would not have to pay UK tax at a rate of 39.35 per cent on dividends. Senior Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood has said non-dom rules are outdated and should be reviewed. It’s clear that No 10 are the ones briefing against Rishi Sunak.” Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The prime minister and chancellor are united.”

Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, had US green cards and were declared “permanent US residents” for tax purposes while Sunak served as chancellor.

Critics pointed out that he said Murty “would pay” full taxes on overseas income, not that she had paid it or stated how much. Under non-dom rules, Murty pays £30,000 a year for the right not to pay UK tax on her overseas income. Sky News first reported that Sunak continued to hold a green card for at least a year of his chancellorship, which began in 2020.