King Charles III to Publicly Disclose Personal Tax Returns Amid Pressure for Royal Financial Transparency

(Central News Agency London, June 20, Comprehensive Foreign News) British King Charles III will release his personal tax information. As royal finances face increasing public scrutiny, Buckingham Palace announced today that Charles III will be the first monarch to publicly disclose his personal tax information, which will help enhance the transparency of the royal family.

According to Agence France-Presse, legally, the British monarch is exempt from certain taxes; however, in practice, they have voluntarily paid certain taxes for decades.

Furthermore, the British monarch is not obligated to disclose tax information. However, the scandals surrounding Charles III's younger brother, Prince Andrew, who has been stripped of his princely title, have recently brought the royal family's finances back into focus.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the Press Association that Charles III will be the first monarch to proactively disclose his personal tax information.

Buckingham Palace stated that this decision is one of the reform measures that Charles III himself requested to promote, and it is part of the modernization of the royal family that he has been pushing since his accession to the throne.

The spokesperson said, "Our goal is to explain all the details of the royal family's finances in a clearer and more understandable way, and to explain them within their historical and constitutional context. Simply put, we are continuously moving towards modernization and innovation."

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Charles III's personal tax information will be released on the 25th along with the annual royal financial report.

Under British law, the monarch is not required to pay income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax. However, since 1993, Queen Elizabeth II has voluntarily paid income tax and capital gains tax to this day.

Before ascending to the throne in 2022, Charles III, as the Prince of Wales, also proactively disclosed his tax amounts.

In recent years, the royal family has actively worked to repair the damage to its image caused by Andrew's association with the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Government auditors pointed out this month that Andrew had been symbolically renting a mansion at a low rent for many years, but earned private income by subletting multiple cottages.

The British Treasury allocates the "Sovereign Grant" annually to cover the royal family's expenses for carrying out public duties.

One of the King's private income sources is the Duchy of Lancaster, an estate that owns a diverse portfolio of land, properties, and investments. For the period 2024-2025, this duchy generated an annual income of £26.8 million (approximately NT$1.15 billion) for the King. (Compiled by Tsai Chia-min) 1150621

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