Addison Lee founder owes £20.5m in tax after UK tribunal ruling
HMRC wins challenge over John Griffin’s claim to be non-dom despite having lived in England since childhood The founder of Addison Lee owes £20.5m in tax after a tribunal dismissed a claim that he should be treated as a nom-dom despite living in the UK since childhood. John Griffin had argued he should be treated as a nom-dom due to his connection to Ireland, saying: “I was and am besotted with…
Addison Lee's founder, John Griffin, has been ordered to pay £20.5 million in back taxes after a UK tribunal dismissed his claim to be classified as a non-domiciled individual (nom-dom). Griffin, born to Irish parents and residing in England since childhood, had argued that his domicile status should be recognized as Irish due to his emotional attachment to the country.
However, the London tribunal ruled in favor of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), stating that Griffin had settled in England in every meaningful way since moving there at the age of nine. The tribunal noted that although Griffin retained a strong emotional connection to Ireland, it did not equate to a definite intention to make Ireland his permanent home.
The decision caps a long-standing dispute over Griffin's tax affairs and applies to his worldwide income from 2013 to 2020, resulting in an additional £20.5 million owed to HMRC.
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