Newcastle City Council celebrates fair tax week 2022

In January we agreed to sign up to the Fair Tax Foundation’s Councils for Fair Tax declaration and become part of a growing number of councils who have pledged to follow fair tax principles and encourage its many suppliers to do the same and apply for the Fair Tax Charter Mark.

In our region, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland have already signed up. By doing so, councils stand up for responsible tax conduct and commit to:

• leading by example on their own tax conduct
• demanding greater transparency from suppliers, including on profits and who owns them - important tax and anti-corruption concerns
• calling for more meaningful powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst suppliers when buying goods and services.

Cabinet Member for an Efficient Council, Cllr Paul Frew, has written to almost 200 of the council’s biggest suppliers urging them to support the fair tax principles and work towards achieving the Fair Tax Charter Mark.

Cllr Frew said: “Businesses that give back to the communities that they support should be celebrated, so I am glad we are promoting Fair Tax Week as a Council. Paying a fair share of tax is important to funding the infrastructure we all use and the investment in people’s health and skills necessary for today’s society.”

“It’s grotesque that some businesses and millionaires don’t play by the rules, especially given the level of support that has been distributed in the past couple of years. There is a need for honesty and transparency when it comes to tax so that businesses are on a level playing field and customers can have confidence in their spending.

“Fair Tax accredited businesses should wear their mark with pride knowing that they are doing right by their employees, customers, and the country.”