London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

How would a UK windfall tax on oil and gas profits work?

How would a UK windfall tax on oil and gas profits work?

Analysis: Sunak hints Labour proposal ‘not off the table’ but criteria suggests very few firms would be penalised
Until this week, the government repeatedly rejected the notion of a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, which have been reaping huge profits from sky-high energy prices.

But the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, hinted at a possible U-turn on Wednesday, telling Mumsnet that such a policy was “never off the table”, and would be looked at if investment by companies in Britain’s energy security failed to materialise.

The idea is that the money raised could be spent on easing the cost of living crisis for those households most under pressure from soaring prices. So what would a windfall tax on oil and gas companies be worth to the Treasury?

Labour has repeatedly argued that a one-off, year-long windfall levy could raise £1.2bn to fund discounts on home energy bills, which are already at a record high of £1,971 for an average dual-fuel tariff, with a further eye-watering rise on the way in October.

The party has proposed levying an extra 10% on the corporation tax paid by oil companies that are active in the North Sea. This would be on top of the 40% rate they pay on their profits, already higher than the 19% headline rate of corporation tax.

This would not only affect well-known firms such as BP and Shell but also lesser-known ones such as Harbour Energy – which actually produces more oil from the North Sea than any other extractor: about 163,000 barrels a day last year.

The sector’s big firms have certainly done extremely well out of the high oil and gas prices that have sent energy bills and the cost of filling up a car to record highs. BP made a profit of £10bn last year, admitting it has “more cash than we know what to do with”. The company was a “cash machine”, its chief executive, Bernard Looney, said – around the same time as dismissing calls for a windfall tax.

Shell did even better at £15bn, after record quarterly earnings in the last three months of 2021. Both companies will report first-quarter figures next week, including any boost connected to the war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Sunak appeared to leave the door ajar for a levy – but one that would penalise those oil firms that fail to do their best to help the UK squeeze more drops out of the North Sea.

“What I would say is that if we don’t see that type of investment coming forward and companies are not going to make those investments in our country and energy security, then of course that’s something I would look at and nothing is ever off the table in these things,” he said.

It is not immediately clear how the government would set the criteria for judging which companies are underinvesting. In practice, forecasts of increased investment in the North Sea suggest very few firms, if any, are likely to be penalised under current circumstances.

Spending in the North Sea is forecast to hit £21bn over the next five years, according to a report published last September by the UK oil trade body Offshore Energies UK, a higher annual rate than the £3.7bn of investment in 2020.

Habour Energy, which produces a fraction of either BP or Shell’s global output, increased its spending on new and existing projects from $556m to $640m last year.

It plans to increase its spending further this year, indicating it would be unlikely to fall foul of any penalty for perceived underinvestment.

Shell is already considering a U-turn on its decision to abandon the Cambo oilfield, which lies about 75 miles north-west of the Shetland Islands.

The company said this month it planned to invest £20bn-£25bn in the UK energy system over the next decade, although 75% will be on offshore wind, hydrogen and electric vehicle infrastructure, rather than North Sea oilfields. But it too is planning more extraction.

“We plan to continue to invest in the North Sea,” BP said in its latest annual report.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×