April 7, 2022
2 mins read

Sunak’s wife’s Infy link sparks new tax row

Akshata Murthy is the daughter of Narayana Murthy, the billionaire co-founder of IT services company Infosys, and she owns around 0.93% of the company, reports Asian Lite News

The wife of British finance minister Rishi Sunak is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes but pays taxes in Britain on all her UK income, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Akshata Murthy is the daughter of Narayana Murthy, the billionaire co-founder of IT services company Infosys, and she owns around 0.93% of the company. The tax status means she would not pay taxes in Britain on dividends from the Indian business.

The news, which featured prominently in Britain’s newspapers on Thursday, comes as the government is putting up taxes in for millions of people. Tulip Siddiq, a lawmaker and Treasury spokeswoman in the opposition Labour Party, said Sunak should say whether he had benefited from his wife’s tax status.

Murthy’s spokeswoman said as a citizen of India, Murthy was treated under British law as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes because India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously.

Sunak, who became finance minister in February 2020 just as the country entered the COVID-19 pandemic, is now facing some of the toughest economic conditions in decades, with inflation soaring and living standards set to drop to levels last seen in the 1950s.

To help fund the rebuilding of the country’s national health service and its public finances, he has increased the tax take to the highest level since the 1940s.

“Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parent’s home,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously.

“She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income.”
A person familiar with the situation said Sunak had declared his wife’s status to the government when he became a minister and the Treasury department was also informed. The person who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter added that Murthy pays foreign taxes on her foreign income

ALSO READ: Sunak under fire over response to cost of living crisis

Previous Story

US warns India

Next Story

WORLD HEALTH DAY SPECIAL: Get into action and set your health goals right

Latest from -Top News

No Talks Till Terror Ends: India to Pakistan

The MEA’s strong response came at a time when Pakistan, pushed on the backfoot by India’s decisive Operation Sindoor, has suddenly started talking about its intent on having peace talks with India….reports

BNP ramps up poll demand

Chief Adviser Yunus had earlier promised elections in December 2025, but the timeline has since been pushed back first to February 2026 and then to June 2026, fuelling suspicion and dissatisfaction among

Saudi backs India’s strategic outreach

In a series of engagements, the Indian delegation met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State Adel Al-Jubeir and other senior officials. A high-profile Indian all-party parliamentary delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay

India clears stealth fighter project

New execution model paves way for private sector involvement in India’s ambitious stealth aircraft programme; Army showcases next-gen drone warfare systems. In a landmark decision bolstering India’s defence self-reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath

ASEAN lauds India’s firm stance on terrorism

The ASEAN Secretary-General reaffirmed the bloc’s resolve to deepen collaboration with India—a comprehensive strategic partner—in security and counter-terrorism efforts. The Indian all-party Parliamentary delegation, led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha,
Go toTop

Don't Miss

British Indian actress grabs attention in ‘Red Notice’

Arya reprises the role of Interpol’s Inspector Urvashi Das, forever

IAF exits from Exercise Cobra Warrior in UK

The exercise is one of the largest annual Royal Air