XXX

(16.02.2017)

Yesterday was held the first working meeting with actors of the Process of indicators of fiscal responsibility. From February of 2016, Supporting Social Innovation and Oxfam Intermón have been working on the configuration of this project, ESADE and the professional association Inspectors of State Treasury joined in July (IHE) as members of the promoter group. The project will present its results in the autumn, and gives continuity and greater depth to the strategic work that Sustentia and OI have been doing for a long time 7 years on the relationship between taxation and inequality.

The objective of this group is to be able to develop an effective tool that will contribute to "increasing the fiscal responsibility of large companies to achieve fair taxation, by developing a proposal for fiscal responsibility indicators for companies with an international presence". These indicators should cover different fiscally relevant areas to be articulated in the company to achieve the result of fiscal responsibility, including in addition to transparency and transparency reporting, internal decision-making processes and procedures, planning and operation.

In addition to the technical work that the group has been doing since July 2016, a timetable for 4 closed work meetings, structured on concepts, principles and dimensions, with companies in various sectors and other stakeholders. At this first meeting, have participated banking companies, textile, technology and ICT, electric and extractive, CSOs working on taxation and development, and an advisory firm. Companies in the construction sector and ISR funds have committed their participation in the work.

The international organization CSR Europe was also present, that highlighted the fact that taxation has entered a place on the corporate social responsibility agenda, and there is a growing number of companies that already understand it that way.

It is a reality that the taxation of large companies is in the crosshairs of public opinion, and that the institutions at the European and international level have also included it as a relevant point on their agendas. One example of this is the OECD/G20 project to combat erosion of the tax base and the transfer of profits (BEPS), focused on comprehensive reform, coherent and coordinated international tax rules, and provide individual States with solutions to limit existing international "regulatory gaps" that allow companies' profits to "disappear" or be artificially transferred to low- or zero-tax jurisdictions, where little or non-existent economic activity takes place.

As we have already seen in this first meeting, There's important challenges to overcome taking into account the varied case-study derived from the operating models themselves and sectors, and information systems and reporting that each company works with.

Tax liability, tax contribution and other concepts, have been put on the table as a starting point for a general framework that will make it easier for all actors to continue working in an area of increasing relevance.