Boris Johnson reportedly pays 'outrageous' capital gains taxes to US authorities
Mayor of London previously claimed he had no intention of paying the taxes due from the sale of his Islington home
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has reportedly paid the overdue taxes to the United States government he previously described as “outrageous” and said he didn’t intend to pay.
The Mayor of London, who was born in New York and holds dual American-British citizenship, allegedly paid the capital gains taxes owed after the sale of his million-pound Islington property in 2009, according to The Financial Times.
All US citizens, including those who live and work outside the country, are obliged to file a tax return and pay US taxes.
Mr Johnson’s decision to pay comes shortly before a visit to Boston, New York and Washington next month to drum up investment for London.
A spokesperson from the Mayor’s office told The Independent, “This matter has been dealt with.” They declined to comment further.
In November last year, during a tour of the US Mr Johnson revealed he had been struck by the country’s capital gain taxes, and asked whether he would pay the bill.
“No is the answer. I think it’s absolutely outrageous. Why should I?” He responded.
“I think, you know, I’m not a … I, you know, I haven’t lived in the United States for, you know, well, since I was five years old … I pay the lion’s share of my tax, I pay my taxes to the full in the United Kingdom where I live and work.”
The Mayor’s rumoured pay-out may only exacerbate tensions with the US embassy in London. Mr Johnson is currently attempting to extract an estimated £8million from unpaid congestion charges and parking fines.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments