What is Responsible Tax?

Tax is often seen as the cornerstone of the social contract and the current environment has focused the world’s attention on the environmental consequences of what businesses do, pushing environmental, social and governance (ESG) to the forefront of leadership agendas globally. The responsibility of companies to demonstrate the positive impact they are making for their people, their customers and society is creating a complex stakeholder environment that tax leaders must learn to navigate in the future.

KPMG tax professionals are united by our values, governed by our  Global Tax Principles  and Global Quality Framework, and driven by our purpose to inspire confidence and empower change. In addition to delivering a range of tax compliance and consulting services that align to our own responsible tax principles every day, KPMG professionals deliver targeted approaches to help tax leaders embrace their role in the broader ESG agenda through KPMG Tax Impact Reporting, while also engaging in sustained, inclusive and cohesive discussions through the KPMG Global Responsible Tax Project.

KPMG’s Global Responsible Tax Project

Principles for a responsible tax practice

Bringing to life KPMG's values and Global Code of Conduct  in a way that is meaningful for the every-day situations we face as tax professionals.

  1. Be supported by a valid basis in law;
  2. Be based on the assumption that all material facts will be known to tax authorities and all relevant disclosure requirements are properly made;
  3. Be tailored to the particular circumstances of our clients, address any requirements of substance and purpose, and consider the intention of the legislators;
  4. Clearly explain the technical merits and sustainability of relevant options available to our clients; and
  5. Consider any reputational risk and the impact on stakeholders and communities where these are practical to assess.

We require all KPMG people to act lawfully and with integrity in dealing with tax authorities and our clients and we aim to be fully compliant with all relevant requirements.

Throughout this page, “we”, “KPMG”, “us” and “our” refers to the global organization or to one or more of the member firms of KPMG International Limited (“KPMG International”), each of which is a separate legal entity.

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