The Digester

Labour urges HMRC probe into Reform deputy Richard Tice

Mar 16th 2026

Labour chair Anna Turley has written to HMRC after a Sunday Times report that Richard Tice's property firm used REIT status to reduce corporation tax; Tice, Reform deputy leader and spokesman for business, trade and energy, denies any wrongdoing.

  • Labour has asked HMRC to investigate Reform deputy leader Richard Tice after a Sunday Times report.
  • The Sunday Times says Quidnet Reit Ltd avoided nearly £600,000 in corporation tax between 2018 and 2021 by obtaining REIT status that exempts companies from corporation tax for a period.
  • The paper claims Quidnet did not meet the technical tests for REIT status and relied on a legal quirk to secure it.
  • Tice says he complied with UK law and that Quidnet is a UK company paying UK tax.
  • Tax avoidance is legal and distinct from tax evasion, which is a criminal offence.