Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, spoke on the 14th November in a member’s debate on Tax Justice in the Scottish Parliament. Dave said: “The Scale of the problem is massive. HMRC have estimated that the UK tax gap for 2011-12 was £32 billion – just imagine what we could do with all that dodged tax.
In his speech Mr Thompson highlighted the Tax Justice Campaign organised by Christian Aid and Church Action on Poverty. These two groups aim to increase the pressure on Governments to combat tax avoidance, both in the UK and internationally.
The campaign calls for a more transparent international financial system, which would make it harder for companies to move their profits around and utilise tax havens to minimise the amount of tax they pay.
A key measure to promote transparency is the introduction of mandatory country by country reporting, which would greatly aid countries in recovering tax they are rightfully due for profits made in their territory.
Dave added: “Tax justice is the idea that everyone is our society should make an appropriate contribution, reflecting their personal circumstances.
“The perception that we are not ‘all in it together’ is furthered by the stories of large corporations and the wealthy employing imaginative tax systems to avoid taxes. It is striking to note that the poorest 10% of our society contribute 39% of their incomes in tax, while the wealthiest 10% contribute only 35%.
“This is an international problem. The OECD estimates that the amount of corporation tax that is avoided in developing countries is around $160 billion annually. Equivalent to three times the global aid budget!
Both the Scottish and UK Governments must respond to this campaign and bring tax justice to all.”
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