SSE : Businesses must pay their fair share and support the public services we all rely

Fair tax paid at the right time and in the right way is more important than ever to build a green recovery from coronavirus.

SSE Finance Director, Gregor Alexander, said the pandemic and its consequences make it even more important for businesses to pay their fair share which in turn supports the public services on which we all rely.

It comes as the company is reaccredited by the Fair Tax Mark for the seventh year running - the only FTSE 100 businesses to have held the distinction continuously since 2014.

SSE also published its annual Talking Tax Report, which outlines how SSE's business activities, which focus on the development of low carbon assets and infrastructure, support wider society, through the payment of tax.

It shows the firm contributed an overall £1.1bn in tax. As well as £7.74bn to UK GDP in 2019/20, supporting more than 18,000 direct jobs and another 83,000 in wider society. And a further EURO650m towards Irish GDP, supporting 830 direct jobs and almost 4,000 wider.

SSE's Finance Director, Gregor Alexander, said: 'There is no doubt that this year has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and the social and economic consequences that have arisen.

'In the context of increased public expenditure for vital health services and emergency support or people and businesses, the payment of tax has rarely been so important.

'During the current pandemic, it is even more important that the relationship between business and the people they serve is strengthened. When times are tough, we all rely on vital public services.'

SSE was the only FTSE100 company to achieve Fair Tax Mark accreditation for five years and remains committed to the to the principles of Fair Tax.

The company has long advocated for others to join the Fair Tax Mark movement, which encourages and recognises organisations that pay the right amount of corporation tax at the right time and in the right place.

The Perth headquartered business is investing £7.5bn in low-carbon energy and electricity infrastructure over the next five years, including building the world's largest offshore windfarm in Dogger Bank, off the coast of Yorkshire, Scotland's largest offshore windfarm in Seagreen off the coast of Angus, and the UK's largest onshore windfarm in Viking on the Shetland Islands.

Gregor added: 'SSE has made the case, since the beginning of the pandemic, that the best way to recover the economy is to build back greener. Accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy is a win-win proposition.

'Economic activity is stimulated, creating jobs and tax revenues, and we speed up the response to the other great crisis: climate change.'

The full Talking Tax report can be viewed here.