Lawsons has become the first builders’ merchant group to be awarded the Fair Tax Mark, signalling that it has reached “the gold standard of responsible tax conduct.”
The Fair Tax Mark, issued by not-for-profit social enterprise The Fair Tax Foundation, certifies that a business “seeks to follow the spirit, as well as the letter of the law, shuns corporate tax avoidance such as the artificial use of tax havens and is transparent about profits made and taxes paid.” Lawsons has been assessed against the Solely UK-based Business Standard.
Established in 1921, as a third-generation family-owned business, Lawsons has grown into one of the largest independently owned builders merchant groups in the South East of England. The business states that it demonstrates a full commitment to a wide agenda of corporate social responsibility and believes that the “UK taxation system underpins and supports the societies and communities it operates its branch network, along with contributing to the economic well-being of the UK.”
Group Finance Director Chris Harrison said: “We have a culture of transparency across our entire business, whether in our dealings with customers, suppliers or our people. As a significant player in the builders’ merchant sector, which is a key sector for the UK economy, it is only right that we should publicly demonstrate our approach to paying our fair share of tax in full and at the right time.”
Jeremy Norris, Group Managing Director, continued: “The Fair Tax Mark is another way we demonstrate our values and best practices to our customers, suppliers and people. We also believe that this inspires confidence and trust in our goods and services and I would not be surprised to see this accreditation becoming a mandatory requirement for all public construction contracts.”
Jaime Boswell, Head of Accreditation at the Fair Tax Foundation, added: “As the first building materials merchant to gain the Fair Tax Mark, Lawsons is putting responsible tax on the agenda for a whole new section in this supply chain. This is powerful because it forms a community end to end in which business can be done with those demonstrating fair tax principles.
“We know that responsible corporate tax behaviour allows businesses to compete fairly, and we’re delighted to have Lawsons in our progressive business cohort.”
The Fair Tax Mark is said to be the world’s first certification for responsible tax conduct. Certification has now been secured by 270 businesses – including building suppliers Marshalls, Eurocell and Epwin Group, and businesses in the wider construction sector such as Gleeson and Mace – which together employ more than 400,000 people and contribute £5.3bn / €6.1bn / $5.8bn annually in corporate income tax worldwide.
Awarded by an independent certifier, the Fair Tax Foundation, the label indicates that a business has “exceeded the threshold of a high-bar set of corporate tax conduct criteria.” These include a highly responsible tax policy, meaningful explanations of tax positions and cash taxes paid, public and transparent financial statements, and beneficial ownership transparency.
According to the Fair Tax Foundation, “in other words, it is to tax what Fairtrade is to food.”
