Here’s how Scotland loses £3bn from UK tax evasion and avoidance

by the SNP
Posted on
2 years ago
2 min read

The UK leads the world in tax evasion and abuse – and as a result of Westminster’s failure to clamp down on it, the UK loses £38 billion a year.

The UK only has 0.86% of the world’s population – but the UK’s tax loss is equal to 14.2% of the world’s total tax loss.

Here’s an explainer.

The price of UK tax evasion and avoidance: £570 per person a year

The UK is at the top of a global network of tax evasion and avoidance by multinational corporations and wealthy oligarchs – and according to research by the Tax Justice Network, £38 billion in taxes is lost in the UK every year.

Per person, this equates to around £570 a year – a figure that hits particularly hard amid a Tory cost of living crisis, for which we all pay the price.

Scotland loses over £3 billion a year from UK tax evasion and avoidance

Scotland loses over £3 billion a year from unpaid tax – money that could be spent on schools, hospitals and our NHS.

Along with UK Overseas Territories – such as the Cayman Islands – UK and its territories account for more than 36% of global tax losses.

These are astronomical sums on a global scale, and yet Westminster is failing to take real action to tackle it.

Powers to tackle tax evasion and avoidance lie exclusively at Westminster

The powers to tackle avoidance and evasion for almost all taxes, including Income Tax, lie at Westminster.

The SNP has consistently called for greater tax transparency and stronger action from the Westminster government to clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion – but the UK Tories simply continue ignoring Scotland.

The UK continues to have the worst poverty and inequality in north west Europe

With so many billions a year lost from unpaid taxes, and with the cumulative impact of Brexit and austerity, it’s no wonder the UK sits at the bottom of so many league tables.

Out of all neighbouring countries in north west Europe, the UK has the lowest GDP per person – while also having the highest poverty rates and the worst levels of inequality.

With independence, we can build a more progressive, fairer Scotland

With Westminster failing to tackle tax evasion and avoidance, while imposing a costly Brexit and austerity against our will, it’s clear Scotland deserves better.

Independence offers Scotland the opportunity to take action, ensure a fairer taxation system that benefits the people of Scotland, and build a more equal society, more prosperous society.