Anti-Facilitation of Tax Evasion Statement

As an international law firm, we pride ourselves on our ethical standards. A commitment to behaving responsibly is at our core and it extends to everything we do, and to those with whom we interact.

The firm's policy is to conduct business without engaging in transactions which we know or suspect facilitate tax evasion, even if it may result in us losing business.

We will not tolerate facilitation of tax evasion, wherever it may occur.

Tax evasion deprives governments of the revenues they need to provide vital public services. Tax authorities around the world are working together to clampdown on evasion. Pinsent Masons is committed as a business to zero tolerance of tax evasion or its facilitation and to guard itself against deliberate breaches of tax evasion laws.

We expect all Pinsent Masons staff, vendors and suppliers to fully comply with their tax obligations (‘Pinsent Masons People’). We will not tolerate any of our partners, employees, agents or business partners knowingly assisting or encouraging tax fraud by any of the clients, suppliers or others that we do business with anywhere in the world.

Our commitment to ensuring that all appropriate taxes are paid by us and those who we do business with, includes:

• Upholding the rule of the law and the proper administration of justice;
• Carrying out business fairly, honestly and openly;
• Refusing to provide our services where we know or suspect them to be being misused or abused by a client for the purposes of tax evasion; nor will we aid, facilitate or support actions which assist in evasion of tax liabilities;
• Not buying services or goods from any supplier or consultant where we know or suspect them not to be properly declaring their income and any relevant tax and duties in connection with those activities;
• Implementing and monitoring a programme to counter the risk of us being involved in the facilitation of tax evasion.

The Firm commits a criminal offence if it does not take appropriate steps to prevent facilitation of tax evasion by our staff and service providers. Successful prosecution for failure to prevent tax evasion (FTP) could lead to:

• An unlimited fine;
• Public record of the conviction;
• Significant reputational damage and adverse publicity;
• Severe regulatory impact;
• Severe impact on business relationships and loss of work, opportunities and clients

Our commitment is to zero tolerance of tax evasion or its facilitation:

• We will not engage in any activities where we know that any aspect of the transaction is being misused, abused or otherwise corrupted for the purposes of tax evasion.
• We will not buy any product or service from any supplier where it is known that any aspect of the transaction is being misused, abused or otherwise corrupted for the purposes of tax evasion.
• We will terminate any agreement or business relationship as soon as we learn of tax evasion taking place.
• We will not do business with others who do not adhere to at least the same standard of preventing tax evasion.
• We will regularly monitor and review our Anti-Tax Facilitation Policy.
• Any employee found in breach of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
• In addition, a member of staff who breaks the law may be reported to the police and may face criminal proceedings, fines or imprisonment.
• No employee will suffer any adverse action for reporting any breach of this policy or from refusing to carry out an action which may lead to a breach of this policy.
• We will take all reported concerns seriously and will confidentially investigate to determine if the law or this policy has been contravened.

View Pinsent Masons' signed policy statement (PDF)