South Lanarkshire is second Scottish council standing up for responsible tax conduct
South Lanarkshire Council joins a growing movement of towns, cities and districts standing up for responsible tax conduct. Council leaders have agreed to approve the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration, making South Lanarkshire the 21st local council in the UK and second in Scotland to stand up for responsible tax conduct.
The announcement comes during Fair Tax Week, the UK-wide recognition of the companies and councils that are proud to promote responsible tax conduct.
Cllr Joe Fagan, South Lanarkshire Council, said:
“I am pleased that my colleagues agreed to support this motion today.
“As a council, we will also promote Fair Tax Mark certification for any business in which it has a significant stake and where corporation tax is due.
“The pledge includes a commitment to join in and support Fair Tax Week events in the area, and celebrate the tax contribution made by responsible businesses who say what they pay with pride.
“We will also support calls for urgent reform of UK and Scots law to enable municipalities to revise their procurement policies and better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct.”
Latest polling data reveals that over two thirds (66%) of people believe the Government and local councils should at least consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax, as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when awarding contracts to companies
The Councils for Fair Tax Declaration commits UK cities, towns and districts to exemplary tax conduct in their own affairs, requiring greater transparency from suppliers and joining calls for more meaningful powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst supplier businesses.
Mary Patel, Networks Manager at Fair Tax Foundation said:
“We’re delighted that South Lanarkshire Council is standing up for responsible tax conduct by approving the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration. In doing so, South Lanarkshire Council is committing to the highest possible standards of tax conduct in its own affairs, and is joining other supporters of the Declaration in calling for greater powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst suppliers.”
As part of Fair Tax Week, we hosted a webinar on ‘Local areas standing up for fair tax’ to find out more about the importance of local areas backing fair tax practices, and how local councils can take action now by supporting the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration. Watch this space for the recording.
Find out more about the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration and how the process works.
