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The press statement was originally published by Tax Justice UK on 17th March 2025.
Photo credit: Tax Justice UK.
Leading non-profit organisations from Africa, Asia, South America and Europe have delivered a letter to Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and David Lammy urging the UK government to make progress on international tax rules.
Over 40 signatories representing regional networks and both global and domestic organisations, are calling on the UK government to support the United Nations Tax Convention and the implementation of fully accessible registers of beneficial ownership in British and Overseas Territories. Deadlines for implementation of accessible registers are looming.
Coordinated by Tax Justice UK, signatories to the letter include Tax Justice Network Africa, Latin American and Caribbean Network for Economic, Social and Climate Justice, Asia Development Alliance, Arab NGO Network for Development, Greenpeace UK and Amnesty International UK.
The UK government has expressed its ambition for British Overseas Territories to implement accessible registers. The Falkland Islands and St Helena are expected to implement fully accessible registers in April 2025. Legitimate interest access registers are expected to be implemented by June 2025 across territories such as Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. Those signing onto the letter to the UK government want to see more ambition in the form of fully accessible registers which are deemed vital transparency tools to crack down on tax abuse by super rich individuals and corporations.
Sara Hall, Interim Executive Director at Tax Justice UK said:
“The international community is calling on the UK to be a meaningful and effective partner and make progress on bringing about better global taxation rules. Far too much money is lost to global tax abuse each year, depriving governments around the world of vital revenue to invest in healthcare, public services and decarbonisation. The UK has an opportunity, and a moral obligation, to tackle tax abuse instead of enabling it. The impacts of doing so could be momentous.”
The letter urges the UK government to “work with partners in the Global South for a global financial system that works for people and the planet.” It also warns that the recent cut to UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income will “undermine UK and global efforts to achieve shared goals whilst also causing substantial immediate harm to those receiving lifesaving assistance and medical care.”
Signatories go on to state that the cut didn’t need to be made when “significant revenues could be raised from tackling global tax abuse and implementing fairer global taxation policies”. They further note that it is an “added blow to low- and middle-income countries that receive UK ODA who also lose out on revenue due to global tax abuse, often enabled by the UK.”
Chenai Mukumba, Executive Director of Tax Justice Network Africa said:
“Global tax abuse harms everyone, depriving communities in both Africa and the UK of revenue for their health systems, public transport, and education. It is, therefore, in our shared interests to tackle it.
The UK said it would take an approach based on genuine respect and partnership with the Global South, but these words will ring hollow without bold action.”
Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UK said:
“Global inequality is skyrocketing while the current global economic system is allowing hundreds of billions of pounds to be lost to tax abuse each year, disproportionately harming lower-income countries.
“With the Government cutting the UK’s international development budget, fewer of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable will be able to access food, education, healthcare and justice. If it is true that the Prime Minister says that he regrets those cuts, then he has to take a real lead in tackling global tax abuse and implementing fairer global taxation policies, which could raise substantial amounts of extra revenue and help see these damaging cuts reversed.
“For too long, global tax rules have been set by the richest countries, including the UK, effectively enabling this massive abuse and avoidance. Now is the time for an inclusive and sustainable global tax framework to ensure a fairer and more effective forum for agreeing tax rules.”