Berwick MP, Anne-Marie Trevelyan has joined MPs of all parties to demand fair taxes and good practice from large businesses. MPs came together with charities and tax experts in Parliament last week to discuss how to encourage large businesses to be responsible about their tax bills.
Anne-Marie said: “In 2016, I was pleased to play a part in changing the law to give the Government more powers to publish key headline information from large multinationals, such as where they earn their revenues and where they pay their tax across the world.
“MPs of all parties share a simple belief that all businesses should play by the same rules; that firms should be open about their business and they should shun any association with tax havens. This campaign is supported by organisations like Fair Tax Mark that encourages firms to sign up to a responsible approach to paying tax.
“I hope we see many more large firms improving their reputations by open public reporting of their revenues and tax paid. And if that revenue comes from several countries then I hope they will follow the best firms and adopt public country by country reporting.”
Mrs Trevelyan’s Public Accounts Committee colleague, Labour MP Caroline Flint said: “I want to place on record my thanks to Anne-Marie who, with other MPs, helped to persuade the Government to accept a change to the Finance Bill last year. The power the Government now has in reserve, to require large multinational companies to publish where they earn their revenue and where they pay tax, known as public country by country reporting, was a landmark change in the law. Without the support of Anne-Marie and colleagues from all parties, we may never have made this breakthrough.
“This week Anne-Marie and I came together with like-minded people to pledge to continue this campaign, in the interests of openness, fairness and social justice."
The MPs were joined this week by ActionAid, Christian Aid and other charities who argue that developing countries lose $200billion each year in lost tax from multinationals.
Photo: “Show me the money” – Anne-Marie joins Caroline Flint in backing the campaign to ensure the largest companies pay their fair share of tax.