For too long, tax havens and legal loopholes have enabled large multinational companies to shift profits around the world and get away with paying less than their fair share of taxes.
Fairer taxes mean a fairer economy. Research by the Fair Tax Foundation suggests that putting an end to tax havens and making multinationals pay taxes in the country where they make their profits would raise at least £17 billion a year for the UK.
This means billions (thousands of millions) more to fund our vital public services like the NHS, social care, education and local government – it could, for example, fund 130 new hospitals.
The super wealthy in our country either pay no tax whatsoever or proportionally less than the rest of us.
Workers and small independent businesses have to pay local rates while international chains like Amazon, Starbucks, Nike, Microsoft, General Electric and Pfizer avoid corporation tax.
Thanks to subsidies, some of these multinational conglomerates actually make a profit off the taxpayer.
Meanwhile, public services are plunging further into disarray, housing into disrepair, with food and fuel poverty on the rise.
At the council meeting on Thursday 21 July, councillors agreed to sign up to the “Councils for Fair Tax Declaration” which encourages councils to lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
This includes demanding clarity on company ownership in procurement, as well as promoting Fair Tax Mark certification for and celebrating the tax contribution made by responsible businesses.
We are proud to promote responsible tax conduct by business who pay their fair share of corporation tax.
And we are proud to support calls for urgent reform of UK procurement law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through our purchasing policies.
As part of promoting this decision, Councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones and I are due to meet the Fair Tax Foundation today (Friday 12 August) for the official launch of the council’s status as the 28th UK Fair Tax Council.
The Councils for Fair Tax Declaration has been developed by the Fair Tax Foundation in collaboration with UK cities, towns and districts who believe that they can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct.
This means doing what they can within existing rules and pledging to do more, if given the opportunity, as active supporters of tax justice.
Councillor Carmen Appich is the joint leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.
All well and good, but you were elected to serve the inhabitants of Brighton and Hove , not wasting time and money preaching about all that is wrong with the world.
And thanks for the definition of ‘billions’ … I never knew that
Just diverting attention from their patent inability to manage the city, and position themselves as potential candidates for Westminster instead?
Why doesn’t this Councillor ever give feedback on local issues? Elected to serve the residents of Westbourne Ward. What are you doing about the weeds, graffiti, parking, rubbish, planning, reporting on local services?