Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Aug 15, 2026

Can pay, won't pay: how Windsor became the tax-dodging capital of the UK

Can pay, won't pay: how Windsor became the tax-dodging capital of the UK

A new analysis of all 279 areas in the country shows the jolly nice Berkshire town has the highest concentration of tax avoiders

Name: Windsor.

Age: Yeah, quite old. There was almost certainly a settlement there before William the Conqueror showed up and built a castle in 1070.

Location: On the Thames in Berkshire, about 20 miles west of central London. And FYI, it’s twinned with Goslary in Lower Saxony in Germany and Neuilly-sur-Seine in France.

Yes, yes, very interesting, but this is a news-based column. Presumably there is a story? Yes, it’s the tax-dodging capital of the UK.

Really? Meaning what exactly? Of all the 279 areas in the UK, Windsor has the highest concentration of tax avoiders. Analysis carried out after freedom of information requests to HMRC has revealed that there were 23 disclosures per 100,000 people of unpaid tax in Windsor (and neighbouring Maidenhead).

How does that compare with the rest of the country? The average is seven per 100,000.

So Windsor is more than three times as dodgy as the average place? Tax-wise yes, I suppose so.

But in other ways, Windsor wouldn’t be described as dodgy at all, would it? Not at all – quite the opposite, it’s jolly nice.

It’s almost like the wealthiest people are ripping off everyone else. I suppose you could look at it that way.

What about other hotspots? St Albans (20 per 100,000), Guildford (17) and Tunbridge Wells (15) all do well.

Though I’m not sure you mean “well”. While tax avoidance is legal, it can be open to abuse. Hang on, though, Windsor … it’s ringing a bell; doesn’t someone famous live there? Quite a few actually. It is, as already mentioned, jolly nice.

No but really famous. You mentioned William I building a castle there, right? A timber one, motte and bailey, long gone.

But another one was built in its place? I’m thinking the bell that’s ringing might be coming from St George’s Chapel … Hey, this is not that kind of story. It’s not a royal one, OK?

The Crown is tax exempt though? True, but since 1993 the Queen and the Prince of Wales have voluntarily paid income tax.

What does the HM in HMRC stand for then? Isn’t she effectively paying herself? No.

But it was only after her castle burnt down in the annus horribilis and the following outcry that the taxpayer might have to foot the massive repair bill that she offered to pay tax, wasn’t it? Yes, but this isn’t about that!

Windsor, tax avoidance, that’s near enough. Go on then, do say: “Philip! We’ll do one’s return online this year, it gives us an extra couple of months.”

Don’t say: “Shall we just call it the Cayman Islands on Thames?”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million and Change Facebook and Instagram Safeguards for Children
Up to only 10 Months in Prison for Swedish Officer’s Murderer Sparks Anger
Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Advertising trick: Pepsi’s Harrier Jet Commercial Led to a $700,000 Court Fight
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Air Traffic Control Outage Grounded Flights Across the Midwest
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
×