Tories ask HMRC to investigate whether Nigel Farage owes tax on £5m gift

Party chair queries status of funds Reform leader received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne The Conservatives have asked HMRC to investigate whether Nigel Farage should have paid tax on the £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, wrote to the tax authorities questioning whether it was a payment to compensate him for running to be an MP. Farage has said the gift was purely personal and unconditional, with a document drawn up to say it was given with no expectation in return. He has also previously said the payment was to go towards his personal security costs, and a reward for campaigning for Brexit. He said it was no one’s business what he did with the money and that he could “spend it on Ferraris” if he wanted. The Guardian, however, reported this month that three sources had said Farage informed senior Reform UK figures that he would require compensation of £1m per year to offset his loss of earnings if he were to run for office. The office of Nigel Farage did not initially deny that he made the remarks. Instead, it responded to a request for comment with this statement: “Mr Farage says he doe