Budget 2017: lost opportunity to tackle tax dodging

8 March 2017

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ActionAid Head of Advocacy Ms Charlie Matthews, responding to Budget 2017, said:

 

“ActionAid welcomes the Chancellor’s commitment to tackling tax dodging and continuing to invest in lifesaving aid for the world’s poorest countries. However this Budget is a lost opportunity to ensure companies pay their fair share in developing countries as well as in the UK.

“The Government has the power to compel companies to publish the amount of money they make and tax they pay in every country where they do business, including in developing countries where the money is desperately needed to pay for schools and hospitals. This public tax reporting would help restore people’s faith in the system and shine a light on companies using tax havens to dodge taxes.”

“On the day women worldwide are advocating for a better deal it is more important than ever that the UK uses its global leadership to ensure that women and girls are able to access well-funded schools and hospitals. Addressing tax avoidance and evasion is a crucial step in achieving this.

“The upcoming G20 summit offers the chancellor another opportunity to push for global progress on tax transparency and we him urge to do so. 

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