Nigel Farage defends Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice amid tax affairs row

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has defended his deputy Richard Tice amid a row about his tax affairs.

A company belonging to Mr Tice reportedly failed to pay tens of thousands of pounds in tax on dividends, according to The Sunday Times.

But Mr Farage said he was “satisfied” with how the Reform deputy leader had conducted his business affairs.

According to The Sunday Times, Mr Tice received at least £91,000 because his property investment company, Quidnet REIT Limited, did not pay the required 20% tax on the dividends before they were issued to him and his offshore trust in Jersey.

As he faced questions from journalists on the matter, Mr Farage cited an analysis by Tax Policy Associates (TPA), a not-for-profit founded by expert Dan Neidle, who in the past has had links with the Labour Party.

Over the weekend, TPA wrote in an analysis that Mr Tice’s company did not avoid or evade tax.

Mr Farage pointed to this as he was asked about his deputy’s tax affairs at a central London press conference, telling reporters: “Have a look at the messaging that he (Mr Neidle) was putting out yesterday, which made it very, very clear, no attempt at avoidance or evasion overall because of dividends taken personally and a higher rate of tax paid.”

Mr Farage later added: “If our biggest critic is Labour activist Dan Neidle – and he is a tax expert, he is good at it – if our biggest critic says that Richard Tice has not evaded or avoided tax, has paid the full amount, and actually maybe even a little bit more than the full amount, then I’m satisfied with that.”

While TPA did acknowledge Mr Tice’s company neither avoided nor evaded paying tax, it did say the firm may need to pay tax it had “mistakenly failed to pay”.

The analysis by TPA said: “It’s important to add that this was not tax evasion – a criminal offence – because there’s no reason to believe Quidnet’s directors or employees acted dishonestly – in our view that would be far-fetched.

“It was also not tax avoidance – an attempt to exploit a loophole.

“It was much more simple than that: Quidnet mistakenly failed to pay the tax required by law, and is now required to pay it.”

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said Mr Farage was “desperately trying to deflect attention from this scandal, but it won’t wash”.

The senior Labour figure added: “Richard Tice is not denying that his business did not pay the taxes it owed: it’s as simple as that.

“That’s why Tice’s integrity and credibility are at stake.

“Tice called on others to resign over tax errors – Reform can’t now claim that the rules don’t apply to him.

“The British public expect honesty and accountability from those seeking power, standards Reform has repeatedly shown it cannot meet.”