North Berwick-based Jerba Campervans has today secured its first Fair Tax Mark certification, and joins the growing movement of responsible businesses who are proud to ‘say what they pay with pride’.  Jerba Campervans was launched in 2006 and specialises in converting and customising Volkswagen Transporter vans for those passionate about adventure and the outdoors. Since 2018 the company has been 100% employee-owned.  As part of the accreditation process, Jerba Campervans has published a Fair Tax Mark Statement that makes clear: who owns and controls the business;  what profits the business has made in recent years;  how much tax has been charged and an explanation for any variances with the headline rate of tax over that period Simon…

Scottish Water has today (14 December) secured its first Fair Tax Mark certification, joining the growing movement of progressive businesses who are proud to say what they pay with pride. The utility provider has met the Fair Tax Mark’s tasking criteria and demonstrates its commitment to responsible tax conduct and transparency. The Fair Tax Mark is an independent certification scheme, which recognises organisations that demonstrate they are paying the right amount of corporation tax in the right place, at the right time. In total, more than 50 businesses have now been certified. These include national brands such as Timpson, Richer…

London-based Clean for Good has today (4th December) secured its first Fair Tax Mark certification, and joins the growing movement of responsible businesses who are proud to ‘say what they pay with pride’. The award-winning Clean for Good delivers professional cleaning services to work spaces across the capital, and also provides fair pay and dignified work to its cleaners. The church-founded social business was launched in 2017, is a Living Wage Employer, directly employs its own team on decent terms and conditions and works hard to operate to high eco and ethical standards. Their range of ethical credentials is now…

Oxfordshire-based Westmill Wind Farm and Westmill Solar Farm have today (10th November) secured their first Fair Tax Mark certifications, and join the growing movement of responsible businesses who are proud to ‘say what they pay with pride’. The two renewable energy co-operatives are co-located on agricultural land in Oxfordshire and pursued Fair Tax Mark certification in parallel. Westmill Wind Farm was the first 100% community owned onshore wind farm to be built in the south of England. Its five turbines came online in 2008 and produce low-carbon electricity equivalent to that used by over 2,500 households per annum. Westmill Solar…

Local councils across the UK have made it clear: these tough times are no obstacle to doing the right thing on tax. Three more – the City of Lincoln Council, the City of Edinburgh Council and Trafford Council – have made significant commitments in support of responsible tax conduct, joining the six already signed up. Lincoln and Trafford have both approved our Councils for Fair Tax Declaration, committing them to lead by example on their own tax conduct, demand greater transparency from suppliers, and, call for more meaningful powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst suppliers. In Trafford, the motion passed…

MJ Gleeson plc, the low-cost housebuilder and strategic land specialist, announces is the first housebuilder to be accredited with the Fair Tax Mark. The FTSE-listed housebuilder which is known for making home ownership affordable to those on low incomes has met the Fair Tax Mark’s tough criteria and demonstrates its commitment to responsible tax conduct and transparency. As part of the accreditation process, Gleeson Homes, and its parent company MJ Gleeson plc, revised their Tax Strategy – which now explicitly shuns both tax haven abuse and tax avoidance. The Annual Report and Accounts now provides extra detail on tax relief…

Epworth Investment Management, which has in excess of £1.2bn of assets under management, has today (Monday, 21stSeptember) secured its first Fair Tax Mark certification, and joins the growing movement of responsible businesses who ‘say what they pay with pride’. Epworth Investment Management is an investment manager dedicated to serving the needs of Churches and Charities. They are stewards of their investors’ money and carefully select investments using Christian ethical criteria. Epworth is wholly owned by the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, which was founded in 1960. The Fair Tax Mark an independent certification, which recognises organisations that demonstrate…

The UK Government recently announced its intention to create up to 10 ‘freeports’ across the country. These are essentially special economic zones, and characteristically offer looser customs rules with the aim of attracting investment, but are also known to provide resident businesses with a wider set of preferential treatments including tax reliefs. Freeports are an issue we are concerned about due to the likelihood that they will exacerbate tax avoidance and evasion in the UK, encourage a global race to the bottom on corporation tax, create unfair advantages to a select group of businesses, and, attract illicit actors, such as…

The internationalisation of the Fair Tax Mark moved a step closer with the release of proposals that would form the basis of the Fair Tax certification of businesses that have their ultimate holding company situated outside of the UK. Responding to the needs and demands of civil society, regulators, investors and municipalities around the world, the Fair Tax Mark intends to expand and offer certification across the world – not least to counter the low-bar programmes of unscrupulous accounting and auditing entities. The move follows a number of Fair Tax Mark certification enquiries from businesses around the globe – all…