Fair tax declaration gets the backing of 17th local council in the UK

November 17, 2021 | |
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Cheshire West and Chester Council has become the 17th local authority in the UK, and the third in the North West of England, to support fair tax practices locally.

On signing up to the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration, Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council, said: “We want to make it clear that Cheshire West and Chester Council strongly supports the principles of fair tax and wants to lead by example. Local government has a proud history of standing up for responsible conduct and this declaration is another important step.”

Local authorities that approve the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration commit to leading by example on their own tax conduct, demanding greater transparency from suppliers and calling for more meaningful powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst suppliers when buying goods and services.

Councillor Carol Gahan, Cabinet Member for Finance, added: “Along with councils across the country, we continue to face financial pressures and fight to recover from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. This declaration reinforces the message that everyone needs to pay their fair share and we will be asking suppliers to be fully transparent in their financial reporting.”

The commitment from Cheshire West and Chester Council follows Lambeth Council and Exeter City Council who both signed up to the declaration earlier this Autumn.

Mary Patel, Networks Manager at the Fair Tax Foundation said: “Councils repeatedly tell us they want to do more to reward those suppliers doing the right thing on tax. The Councils for Fair Tax Declaration is about local councils doing what they can now, within the rules, and calling for powers to do more given the opportunity. We’ve seen how the Declaration is giving local places a voice, such as councils encouraging supplier businesses to go for Fair Tax Mark accreditation, joining in with Fair Tax Week celebrations and even engaging on tax via associated pension funds.”

Find out more about our Councils for Fair Tax Declaration.