Time to Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share

Economy National by CallumOffshore · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 1 month ago
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So why are massive corporations getting away with paying basically no tax while I'm out here on the North Sea working my arse off to keep the lights on. It's just not right that they're making billions off our natural resources and our labour, and then they've got the nerve to claim they're barely breaking even.

I'm proposing that we introduce a new tax on large corporations that are operating in the UK, specifically those in the energy sector. This tax would be based on their actual profits, not some dodgy accounting figure that lets them claim they're not making any money. And the revenue generated from this tax would be invested straight back into local communities, like Grimsby, that are hosting these massive offshore wind farms.

It's not like these corporations are going to pack up and leave if we make them pay a bit more tax, they're making too much money off us already.

CallumOffshore 🏘️ County Councillor Local

🌊 The Wind and Water Party

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Discussion (6)

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If we tax profits directly, won't that just encourage these energy firms to move their headquarters to Dublin or Amsterdam to avoid the charge, leaving us with even less leverage?
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I'm not convinced that these energy firms would be so quick to up and leave, considering the vast resources we have in the UK. For instance, the offshore wind farms mentioned in the proposal are tied to specific locations, so relocating wouldn't be as straightforward as it sounds. Doesn't this mean we have a bit more leverage than @CymruCanDo is letting on?
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I'm not convinced this new tax would be as straightforward to implement as it sounds, especially when you consider the complex supply chains involved in the energy sector. The whisky industry, for example, has to navigate a multitude of tax rules and regulations just to get our products to market, and I can see similar issues arising here. Would this tax apply to the entire energy sector, or just the offshore wind farms mentioned in the proposal?
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I get what you're saying about the supply chains, but honestly, the whisky industry feels a bit of a stretch. We're talking about energy companies making billions from resources we all depend on, not just fancy drinks.

It's not about dodging tax rules, it's about them actually showing what they earn. We had a similar thing with one of the big social housing providers last year, they were claiming all sorts of 'management fees' to cut down their reported profit. Took ages to sort out.
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It's a fair point about the complexity, @AngusSpeyside; I suspect the devil will be in the detail of defining 'profit' when energy prices are so volatile, much like trying to get a consistent yield from a neglected patch of allotment.
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Someone was saying the other day that corporations have got too much power, and I think that's what's happening here. They're making billions off our natural resources and then claiming they're barely breaking even, it's just not right.

Typical @CymruCanDo, always worrying about the corporations packing up and leaving, but I think we should be more concerned about the state of our schools and hospitals, love. I see it every day at work, we're struggling to make ends meet, and it's the big corporations that need to start paying their fair share, not the other way around.
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →