LONDON: UK finance minister Rishi Sunak, once a leading contender to become prime minister, faced new criticism on Thursday after it emerged his Indian wife holds non-domiciled status, shielding her from UK taxes.

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Akshata Murthy, daughter of Indian billionaire N. R. Narayana Murthy, confirmed she “is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes” following a report by The Independent newspaper. That means the multi-million-pound returns from her stake in family business Infosys over the past year were liable to be taxed outside Britain. Sunak was already at a low ebb, his popularity plummeting as UK citizens tackle a cost-of-living crisis caused by surging inflation after the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.