The Co-operative Group gets a Fair Tax Mark


We are immensely proud to announce that the Co-operative Group is the latest recipient of a Fair Tax Mark.

co ops presentation crop 3

The Co-operative Group champions a better way of doing business for members and communities. With tax remaining the number one ethical issue with consumers, we are delighted that the Group has made a public commitment to be honest and open about tax by becoming Fair Tax Mark accredited. The full details of their new tax policy can be seen here.

The Co-operative Group is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives and has interests across food, funerals, insurance, electrical and legal services. The Co-operative Group operates a total of 3,750 outlets, with more than 70,000 employees and an annual turnover of approximately £10 billion.

Ian Ellis, The Chief Financial Officer of the Co-operative Group said:
“We are delighted to have been awarded the Fair Tax Mark. It shows that we do the right thing in respect of tax, which our members, customers and our communities consider an important issue to them. Being awarded the Fair Tax Mark is a clear demonstration of how we seek to put our purpose of championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities into practice.”

Meesha Nehru, Programme Director at The Fair Tax Mark commented:
“It’s wonderful to see a business with the heritage of the Co-operative Group embrace the Fair Tax Mark. The Group has previously pioneered so many ethical accreditation schemes that it should come as no surprise to see them at the forefront of another growing social movement.”

Lisa O’Hare, Head of Direct Tax at the Co-operative Group, said:
“The tax team has always sought to apply the Co-op’s values and principles in managing the tax affairs of the Co-op. Tax can be a challenging subject, but we recognise that it is important that we are able to explain how we operate and how we calculate our tax in an as accessible way as possible. The Fair Tax Mark tells us we are doing a good job of this.”