Campaign to make tax fair

You’ve heard about tax dodging companies like Starbucks¹ and Amazon² in the UK. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every year, unfair international tax rules let companies dodge billions of pounds of tax in developing countries – tax that could pay for essential services like schools and hospitals.

Together with the countries most affected, we campaign to end tax dodging so that poorer countries can stop losing out on these vital funds. With fairer tax rules, the citizens of these countries could finally have the decent access to healthcare and education that is everyone’s right.

A fair tax system means everyone pays their fair share – big companies included. It’s time to make tax fair. Everywhere.

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ActionAid UK

Caroline paid more tax than Zambia Sugar

Caroline owns a sweet stall in Nakambala Market, Zambia. She works hard and pays her taxes, but still struggles to make ends meet.

“Our profits are never enough to supply us with good food. So we usually eat porridge and we feel bad about this because the children are always crying due to lack of food.”

While Caroline pays her taxes, the same can’t be said of her neighbouring business. That’s Zambia Sugar, owned by UK company Associated British Foods. They don’t just pay a lower proportion of their income in tax than Caroline — they pay less tax than her in total.

“We feel so bad because The Zambia Sugar Company does not pay tax, and for sure we are suffering. It would be better if they were paying a bigger share than us.”

The impact of tax dodging

$200bn

Poorer countries lose an estimated $200billion³ to tax dodging every year – more than the international aid sent by all rich countries put together

£17m

The company Associated British Foods dodged at least £17 million⁴ of taxes in Zambia

48,000

The tax dodged by Associated British Foods could send an extra 48,000 children⁵ to school every year

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¹ Tom Bergint. (2012). Special Report — How Starbucks avoids UK taxes. Available: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/uk-britain-starbucks-tax-idUKBRE89E0EW20121015. Last accessed 14th Dec 2015. ↩︎
² Ian Griffiths. (2012). Amazon: £7bn sales, no UK corporation tax. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/04/amazon-british-operation-corporation-tax. Last accessed 14th Dec 2015. ↩︎
³ International Monetary Fund . 2015. IMF Working Paper. (ONLINE) Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2015/wp15118.pdf. (Accessed 16 October 15). ↩︎
⁴ ActionAid. (2013). ActionAid exposes tax avoidance by Associated British Food Group in Zambia. Available: https://www.actionaid.org.uk/latest-news/actionaid-exposes-tax-avoidance-by-associated-british-food-group-in-zambia. Last accessed 14th Dec 2015. ↩︎
⁵ ActionAid. (2013). ActionAid exposes tax avoidance by Associated British Food Group in Zambia. Available: https://www.actionaid.org.uk/latest-news/actionaid-exposes-tax-avoidance-by-associated-british-food-group-in-zambia. Last accessed 14th Dec 2015. ↩︎

Want to know more about international tax dodging? Start here:

ACT1512TFS

Campaign to make tax fair

We campaign to end tax dodging

Caroline paid more tax than Zambia Sugar

The impact of tax dodging

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Footnotes