Lendology’s Anna Osborne: External accreditation means we can be trusted

Fair Tax Leaders features senior professionals from across the Fair Tax Mark accredited business community.

Here, Lendology Commercial and Finance Director Anna Osborne discusses the growing importance of fair tax in procurement and ESG reporting, and her career journey to date.

Lendology are a not-for-profit community interest company working with local authorities across the South West of the UK to help homeowners access council-funded home improvement loans.

What drives your business to pursue responsible tax conduct and gain the Fair Tax Mark?  

As a not-for-profit lender, we are incredibly socially focused. The Fair Tax Mark was a natural progression and fits very well with our council partnerships, with more than 60 councils already part of the movement. The Fair Tax Mark stood out as a way to differentiate ourselves from the negative associations of financial institutions and tax.

What would your advice be to other professionals who are thinking of applying for the Fair Tax Mark?  

It’s a very clear, straightforward, and painless process. It provides reassurance that the tax has been looked at by experts, and externally validates that you are paying your fair share to society. No hesitating, just go for it!

Tell us about your professional journey, Anna. What first drew you to work in this field and how did you come to work in your current role?  

I came to Lendology in 2011 fresh from university, with a degree in English Literature. The job market was still suffering following the financial crash. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do as a career, so I went for a job as an Admin Assistant, initially to get some work experience under my feet and because Lendology sparked my interest as a not-for-profit organisation. Happily, I showed an aptitude for the accounting side of the business, and Lendology supported me with my CIMA accountancy exams. Over time, I was promoted from one position to the next. In 2022 I achieved my most recent position as Commercial and Finance Director, joining the board as an Executive Director.

I’ve truly found a passion for numbers and data, and how they are the backbone of the story for every organisation. All businesses are driven by the numbers at the end of the day; I feel very fortunate to have found an organisation where the numbers clearly tell a story of helping others at every level.

How has the role of the tax or finance team changed in this time, especially in relation to stakeholder expectations around fair tax and corporate transparency? 

Lendology have evolved several times over the years with their services and the technology we use to support us. In the past two years, we’ve seen some extraordinary expansion with a doubling of team numbers and council partnerships. I feel a large part of that is our ability to share that we can be trusted through external accreditation and validation.

What are your thoughts on the future of fair tax and corporate transparency? 

With huge gaps in public funding, anger is increasingly directed at organisations that are seen to abuse the tax system by not paying their fair share. Taxes are incredibly important to every individual, and aggressive tax avoidance policies will increasingly be the cause of downfall for institutions that use them, as people turn away from their services.

I think there will be a requirement for procurement for government contracts to show that your taxes are paid accordingly, and ESG reporting will increasingly focus on the tax issue. The Fair Tax Mark shows that we are socially focused, and our culture is to contribute for social good’s sake, rather than because we have to. Fair tax organisations will hopefully be looked upon as the norm in future, rather than the exception.

What one word or phrase would your team use to describe you?

I asked my team for one word each – they came back with principled, reliable and committed!