The Fair Tax Mark
www.nesta.org.uk/feature/new-radicals-2014/the-fair-tax-mark/
www.nesta.org.uk/feature/new-radicals-2014/the-fair-tax-mark/
An independent accreditation process that enables companies to show they are willing to contribute to society and are happy to be transparent about their taxes.
Started: Feb 2013
Based: Manchester
Website: www.fairtaxmark.net
Twitter: @FairTaxMark
Category: Business
The Fair Tax Mark is a system of certified accreditation for “working out who the good guys are” when it comes to businesses paying the correct amount of tax.
Launched in February 2013 by Richard Murphy, Meesha Nehru, Paul Monaghan and the Ethical Consumer Magazine, it began by working with three ‘pioneer’ companies and is now advancing into the mainstream through discussions with FTSE 100 companies.
The Mark is designed to become a symbol of pride for accredited businesses, demonstrating to competitors and the public that the organisation believes in transparency and the ethical and societal value of paying tax.
The process of accreditation is focused on three areas – a business' policies towards tax, the transparency of its tax affairs and how close it is to paying an amount that is appropriate. If an organisation is considered to be responsible by these criteria, the Mark is awarded.
The Fair Tax Mark has gained cross-party political support, and has ambitious plans for the future. With a multinational standard launching in the next month, the aim is for the Mark to emulate FairTrade branding to become a broadly recognised symbol of ethical industry.
