"Are we entering the responsible tax era?", 14 Jul 2016

...As with all social, environmental and ethical matters which affect business and wider society, taxation presents companies with a choice. They can either grab the nettle, admit the issue is complex, that it presents various challenges, that they do not have all the answers, yet will commit to pursuing policies and practices which align with their stated values. In short, they can commit to doing the right thing, to doing their best, and to being transparent on and accountable for their actions. Alternatively, they can keep their head down and hope for the best. The decision a company makes is made on a range of criteria such as whether it engages in “aggressive” tax practices or not. Or whether it is in the public eye and therefore possibly of interest to the NGOs and campaign groups working toward better and best corporate practices...[D]oing some things well does not make you immune...My advice, if your business wants to be responsible on tax, is that it needs to clearly say so. Make a bold, clear, unequivocal statement to that effect...[Refers to Google (part of Alphabet), Legal & General, SABMiller, Starbucks]