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    Global Responsible Tax: Past, present, future

     Perspectives after 10 years from program participants

    people discussing

    The KPMG Global Responsible Tax Program was initiated 10 years ago in the UK to address the polarization and intensity of the tax debate by bringing together stakeholders with different perspectives to listen to each other. The tax debate has always been and will continue to be a complex arena for discussion and debate.

    The program aimed to create a space where key stakeholders, companies, advisors, decision-makers, campaigners, academics and thinkers, investors and the media could come together to understand complex issues, exchange ideas and find improved solutions. After successful testing in the UK, the project expanded globally, welcoming participants from every region. It covers topics such as tax legality, ethics, evasion, avoidance, transparency, and tax competition between countries.

    This collection of interviews provides insights from key stakeholders who have played a significant role in our journey over the past decade. This program has been incredibly diverse and has yielded valuable and impactful results. We intentionally sought out a wide range of perspectives, from corporate stakeholders to policymakers, campaigners, academics, and experts at the forefront of emerging issues related to climate and AI. Taxation affects every aspect of our lives, from personal to societal and from global macroeconomics to individual households in rural Africa.

    One of the main roles of the program has been as a convener for these important conversations. In doing so, we have directly quoted our interviewees to convey the changes they have witnessed over the last ten years, including the challenges, opportunities, successes and areas of improvement.

    Looking ahead, the next decade is likely to bring about a new set of challenges and opportunities. Despite the potential difficulties, we are optimistic that the journey ahead will be equally enlightening and rewarding. Our commitment to fostering these conversations remains unwavering as we embark on this next chapter. 

    Explore the Global Responsible Tax: Past, present, future publication today

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    I knew that we were different, engaged with important issues and willing to explore solutions to global tax policy. But I also knew that we needed to lead the profession as a whole if change was to happen.

    Jane McCormick

    Former Global Head of Tax and Legal Services

    KPMG International

    Jane
    One of the issues that ActionAid focused on was corporate tax because they identified it as being critical to development finance, which it absolutely is, and so as somebody who was working on tax and working on corporate engagement I naturally came across the work of both KPMG and The B Team and when an opportunity came up to work with The B Team I took it on.

    Ewan Livingston-Docwra

    Head of Campaigns

    The B Team

    Ewan Livingston-Docwra
    Another big topic for the future is not just around technical knowledge in developing countries but also about having the resources to administer and understand a complex tax environment. There’s a lot to do, but if you look back over the last 10 years there’s been huge progress. We’re in a very different place today than we were back then.

    John Connors

    Tax Counsel, Vodafone Group Plc.

    Chair, International Chamber of Commerce Global Tax Commission

    John Connors
    This is what I really like about the Responsible Tax Program. It takes a broader perspective on taxation, looking at the bigger picture and the drivers behind the issues that we’re facing and how tax can actually help solve these issues.

    Femke Groothuis

    Co-founder and President

    The Ex'tax Project

    Femke Groothuis
    My interest is how do we educate people about how the world really works in tax terms, in accounting terms, in economic terms and how they all link together. I’m always told that corporation tax is a terrible tax. People say it’s a hindrance on the development of business. Well, no, it isn’t. I’ve never met a business that was hindered by paying corporation tax because they generated the profit to pay it.

    Richard Murphy

    Professor of Accounting

    Sheffield University Management School

    Richard Murphy
    I think there is still a deeper discussion to have on: how responsible tax looks in different circumstances, whether responsible tax behavior differs in a country with lower capacity, and tax laws that look very different to those in Europe. How can a taxpayer meet a consistent standard of responsible tax behavior across all their operations in such different operating environments? I know there’s been some progress, but it would be good to go further.

    Joseph Stead

    Senior Policy Analyst on Tax and Development

    OECD Center for Tax Policy and Administration

    Joseph Stead
    I would say that I go to work motivated knowing that we are making a difference because the countries are taxing better, they are becoming more effective, they are becoming more efficient, they are contributing a lot to their domestic revenue mobilization through taxation. So, again, at the global level, we are actually at the table and discussing issues that will hopefully lead to us getting more equitable rights.

    Mary Baine

    Deputy Executive Secretary

    African Tax Administration Forum

    Mary baine
    The role of the tax official is evolving. At present there is a significant knowledge gap in tax procedure expertise and AI model expertise and in learning how to use and interpret AI tools correctly — but this is also why the role of the experienced tax official is not really going out of date or superseded with the advent of AI tools.

    Benita Mathew

    Lecturer in AI and Fintech at the Surrey Institute for People Centred AI and the Department of Finance and Accounting at the University of Surrey

    Benita Mathew

    Contact us

    David Linke
    David Linke

    Global Head of Tax & Legal

    KPMG International

    Grant Wardell
    Grant Wardell-Johnson

    Global Tax Policy Leader and Chair of the Global Tax Policy Leadership Group

    KPMG International

    Chris Morgan
    Mr. Chris Morgan

    Global Leader for the KPMG Responsible Tax Program

    KPMG International

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