Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Journal Tobacco
Journal Tobacco
Journal Tobacco
Background A key driver of the global tobacco epidemic is the massive profit earned from manufacturing tobacco products despite high levels
of product taxation. Two of the four major Transnational Tobacco companies are based in the UK, where there is growing evidence of
corporate tax avoidance by transnational firms and where there are calls for the industry to pay more towards the harms caused by tobacco
products.
Objectives/Methods UK tobacco company profit and corporation tax data between 2009 and 2016 is obtained from publically available
sources. The intention is not to perform a piece of forensic accounting but to establish the broad pattern of profit and taxation in order to
inform consideration of tobacco product and firm taxation, and hence public health.
Results Very little profit based taxation has been paid in the UK despite high levels of reported profits, both in the domestic market and
globally.
Conclusions The UK needs better reporting and corporate taxation standards. Tobacco companies should be made to pay more profit based
taxation, such as by extending the surcharge on corporation tax currently paid by UK banks, and by making sure companies pay appropriate
taxes when reorganizing corporate structures.
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com 69
70 JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
their tax payments compare to the harm their products allowances to carry-over from one year to the next, meaning
cause, in order to inform consideration of tobacco product firms using these do not pay at the levels implied by the tax
and firm taxation, and hence public health. rate and their reported profit levels.58 Each set of accounts
includes a taxation note offering some detail on the calculation
of the tax charge included, but this does not offer detailed cal-
Background culations or cover the use of such allowances so is of limited
Since 2009 the UK, like many countries, has operated a ter- value.
ritorial tax system, meaning all firms (both tobacco and We therefore utilized the reported information covering
other) are required to pay UK corporation tax on just the tax charges3,4,28–49 and two definitions of profits (Box 1):
profits earned in the UK market.23 Other countries, such as adjusted operating profit; and profit before tax, which is the
basis of corporation tax payments in the UK. We first identi-
Adjusted operating The profit generated from all business operations (operating profit) adjusted to remove exceptional items such as
profit restructuring costs
Profit before tax The measure used for corporation tax purposes, which differs from the above by including the exceptional items and allowing
firms to make deductions for certain expenses, such as net finance costs (costs of borrowing and working in multiple
currencies). For these reasons considerably lower and more variable year on year than adjusted operating profit.
TAXING UK TOBACCO COMPANY PROFITS 71
*Estimates (Imperial stopped reporting UK data in 2013) calculated using the reported gross profitability of the main UK subsidiary of Imperial, adjusted because on average between 2013 and 2009, these represented
likely making hundreds of millions of this as profit before tax
£54 m–£168 m
Theoretical UK tax due estimates what would be payable on UK adjusted operating profit (high level) and UK profit before tax (lower level) if no allowances/deductions were allowed. Corporation tax rate changes all took
(the latter not being directly reported), and yet has actually paid
10.5–31.5%
£2933 m
very little UK corporation tax. Indeed, despite the tax rate ran-
36.61%
£194 m
£945 m
£346 m
£601m
£61 m
(28%)
2009
−6.03%–−8.73%
£119 m–£172 m
years actually receiving millions in corporation tax refunds/
credits, the reasons for which are not specified.
£2118 m
£3067 m
25.21%
−£37 m
£424 m
£534 m
£614 m
(28%)
Take 2013: £623 m in adjusted operating profit was
2010
place on the 1 April, meaning two rates applied to individual company financial years which run from October to September. In such cases, the lower rate was applied for the full year.
before tax was £239 m (based on the ratio between global
16.26%
£577m
2011
Estimates produced by assuming the same relationship between UK adjusted operating profit and profit before tax exists as is the case at the global level.
profit before tax, compared to the 24/23% rate of corporation
tax due (it changed mid-year).
−17.89%–−52.23%
45.33%
£214 m
£490 m
38.72%
£472 m
£239 m
£623 m
Calculated using reported adjusted operating profit (lower rate) and estimated profit before tax (higher rate).
2013
Gallaher Ltd
26.56%
£405m
£320 m
2014
£7 m
£637m*
25.57%
£449 m
£367m
£36 m
2015
£630m*
51.49%
£907 m
£467 m
£161m
£33 m
(20%)
rate, and the theoretical tax due all vary widely year to year.
Source: Refs.3,27–32,46,50–56
Effective overseas tax rate
Global profit before tax
β
72 JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Theoretical UK tax due estimates what would be payable on UK adjusted operating profit if no allowances /deductions were allowed. Global profits before tax and adjusted operating profits do not differ hugely during the period of ana-
lysis so these represent reasonable estimates even though they are based on adjusted operating profits rather than profits before tax on which corporation tax is payable. Corporation tax rate changes all took place on the 1 April, mean-
Note, this is calculated using adjusted operating profit rather than profit before tax on which corporation tax is payable since the latter was unavailable. At the Global level these do not differ hugely during the peri-
£40.2 m–£105.7 m
*BAT does not report profit by country so previously published estimates have been utilized where available.10 The main BAT subsidiary in the UK, British American Tobacco UK Limited, offers no meaningful insight
change to a territorial tax system in Japan, the home of
£20.4 m (28%)
£4080 m
Japan Tobacco (the ultimate parent company). In these three
£4461 m
£1147 m
28.11%
21.93%
years of restructuring, one-off exceptional increases in profit
ing two rates applied to individual company financial years which run from January to December. In such cases, the lower rate was applied for the full year. Since profit estimates are a range, the mid-point has been used.
£16 m
2009
£1294 m
29.49%
−£16 m
2010
given the reported figures are not in keeping with the size of BAT’s market share in the UK—see section discussing the performance of PMI for illustration.72
£5519 m
£1470 m
29.81%
for brands now owned by JTI SA’.42,p.4 This is seen in the way
2011
0%
£0
that both operating profit and profit before tax are relatively
high prior to 2011, and then significantly lower from 2013 once
£72.7 m–£141.4 m
£25.7 m (26/24%)
£1538 m
27.50%
0%
£1567m
27.02%
0%
od of analysis so these represent reasonable estimates. The mid-point of the profit estimate was utilized.
29.91%
£0
22.61%
£5 m
n/a
£7 m
n/a
Table 2 BAT profitability and corporate taxes paid
Source: Refs.4,10,27,33–37,47,60
Discussion
*In 2009, 2011 and 2012 Gallaher Ltd sold assets to other subsidiary companies in the JTI group, creating one-off exceptional increases in profit before taxation (and hence large differences between
Main findings of this study
£193.8 m
Theoretical UK tax due estimates what would be payable on UK Profit before tax if no allowances/deductions were allowed. Corporation tax rate changes all took place on the 1 April, meaning
11.13%
£752 m
£372 m
£312 m
£692 m
This paper makes three key findings, all of which likely
2009*
£77 m
(28%)
extend beyond the tobacco industry and beyond the UK.
Given the overwhelming UK focus of the company, calculated by removing the overseas adjusted operating profit (i.e. different between UK and global) from global profit before tax.
First, that reporting standards in the UK are wholly inad-
equate. Imperial has been allowed (from 2014) to stop
£106.7 m
20.47%
reporting UK adjusted operating profits, BAT and PMI
£440 m
£404 m
£345 m
£381 m
£78 m
(28%)
2010
have never (to our knowledge) done so, and none of the
four TTC have reported profit before tax for the UK. At
the very least companies should be required to report all
£2384 m
11.74%
£140 m
2011*
26%)
£156 m
5.26%
2012*
£33 m
24%)
£152 m
£135 m
£158 m
£33 m
23%)
2013
£152.8 m
£136.4 m
two rates applied to individual company financial years which run from January to December.
£68 m
21%)
2014
initially suggest. For the last 7 years Imperial has only paid an
£181.5 m
£161.4 m
£51 .3m
29.16%
£196 m
£176 m
effective rate of 20.45% and generally a lot lower, BAT has paid
20%)
2015
£172.1 m
£165.1 m
£153.6 m
£29.3 m
£43.6 m
29.74%
£147 m
as a key driver of the global tobacco epidemic and hence the number of ways this could be achieved. For instance, a cor-
associated harms to public health. Sufficiently detailed infor- poration tax surcharge, like the additional 8% currently
mation on tobacco use and taxation have also been high- charged on the domestic operations of UK banks,70 could
lighted as being key elements to addressing tobacco use.63 be extended to the UK market operations of the tobacco
Large transnational companies, such as Google and companies. Based on the corporate profitability of the UK
Facebook, have been identified as paying little UK corpor- market outlined above, an 8% corporation tax surcharge on
ation tax despite being very successful in this market.16–21 UK adjusted operating profits could have raised up to an add-
itional £74 m in 2013 if no allowances or deductions were
allowed, thereby increasing the tax take by more than 100%.
What this study adds The intention should be to increase this rate (over time) to
The issue of corporate taxation appears has been identified ensure that the companies more meaningfully meet the societal
6 Japan Tobacco Inc. Annual Report FY20152016. 30 Imperial Tobacco Plc. Annual Report and Accounts 2012. 2013.
7 Callard C, Thompson D, Collishaw N. Transforming the tobacco 31 Imperial Tobacco Plc. Annual Report and Accounts 2011. 2012.
market: why the supply of cigarettes should be transferred from for- 32 Imperial Tobacco Plc. Annual Report and Accounts 2010. 2011.
profit corporations to non-profit enterprises with a public health
33 British American Tobacco. Annual Report 2014: Delivering Today.
mandate. Tob Control 2005;14:278–83.
Investing in Tomorrow. 2015.
8 Branston JR, Sweanor D. Big tobacco, E-cigarettes, and a road to
34 British American Tobacco. Annual Report 2013: Delivering Today.
the smoking endgame. Int J Drug Policy 2016;29:14–8.
Investing in Tomorrow. 2014.
9 Branston JR, Gilmore AB. The case for Ofsmoke: the potential for
35 British American Tobacco. Annual Report 2012. 2013.
price cap regulation of tobacco to raise£ 500 million per year in the
UK. Tob Control 2014;23:45–50. 36 British American Tobacco. Annual Report 2011. 2012.
10 Branston JR, Gilmore A. The extreme profitability of the UK 37 British American Tobacco. Annual Report 2010: Delivering Growth
tobacco market and the rationale for a new tobacco levy. 2015. Through Innovation. 2011.
11 HM Revenue & Customs. Tobacco Bulletin. July 2018. 38 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
December 2015. 2016.
12 UK Department of Health. Towards a smokefree generation: a
tobacco control plan for England. 2017. 39 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
December 2014. 2015.
13 Kellner P, Anderson W, Arnott D et al. Smoking Still Kills. 2015.
40 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
14 Goodchild M, Nargis N, d’Espaignet ET. Global economic cost of
December 2013. 2014.
smoking-attributable diseases. Tob Control 2018;27:58–64.
41 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
15 British Medical Association. A Vote For Health. 2017 [18 May 2017].
December 2012. 2013.
https://www.bma.org.uk.
42 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
16 BBC News. What is Being Done to Tackle Tax-dodging? 2016 [2 March
December 2011. 2012.
2017]. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36029621.
43 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
17 Gravelle JG. Tax havens: International tax avoidance and evasion.
December 2010. 2011.
Natl Tax J 2009;62:727–53.
44 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
18 Klassen KJ, Lisowsky P, Mescall D. Transfer pricing: strategies, prac-
December 2009. 2010.
tices, and tax minimization. Contemp Account Res 2017;34:455–93.
45 Philip Morris Limited. Annual Report and Financial Statements for
19 Barker J, Asare K, Brickman S. Transfer pricing as a vehicle in cor-
the Year Ended 31 December 2015. 2016.
porate tax avoidance. J Appl Bus Res 2016;33:9–16.
46 Imperial Brands. Annual Report and Accounts 2016: Delivering
20 Johansson Å, Skeie ØB, Sorbe S et al. Tax planning by multinational
Against Our Strategy. 2017.
firms. OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No 1355.
2017. 47 British American Tobacco. Delivering Today, Investing Tomorrow:
Annual Report 2016. 2017.
21 Kamal A. Google’s tax bill rises to £50m. BBC News. 2018 [updated
28 March 2018, 27 October 2018]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ 48 Gallaher Limited. Report and Financial Statements, Year Ended 31
business-43566751. December 2016. 2017.
22 All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking & Health. MPs call on 49 Philip Morris Limited. Annual Report and Financial Statements For
Government to publish new Tobacco Control Plan without further the Year Ended 31 Decmeber 2016. 2017.
delay. Action on Smoking and Health. 2016. 50 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Annual Report and Accounts 2010. 2011.
23 Tax Foundation. The United Kingdom’s Move to Territorial 51 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Annual Report and Financial Statement
Taxation. Fiscal Fact. 2012; p. 336. 2011. 2012.
76 JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
52 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Directors’ Report and Financial 62 HM Revenue & Customs. Corporation Tax: The Patent Box. 2007
Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2012. 2013. [17 July 2017]. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/corporation-tax-the-
53 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Directors’ Report and Financial patent-box.
Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2013. 2014. 63 World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco
54 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Directors’ report and Financial Epidemic, 2008: The MPOWER package2008.
Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2014. 2015. 64 Swedish Match. Annual Report 2015. 2016.
55 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Directors’ report and Financial 65 Altria. Altrica Group, Inc. 2015 Annual Report. 2016.
Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2015. 2016.
66 European Commission. Remarks by Commissioner Jonathan Hill
56 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Financial Statements For the Year on Tax Transparency Rules for Multinationals. 2016.
Ended 30 September 2016. 2017.
67 OECD. Third Meeting of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS
57 HM Revenue & Customs. Amendments to Country By Country Reporting Delivers Results. 2017.
58 Government of the United Kingdom. Corporation Tax Rates and 69 Christian Aid. One in three are voting with their wallet following tax
Reliefs. 2017 [cited 2017, 17 July 2017]. https://www.gov.uk/ revelations. 2013.
corporation-tax-rates/allowances-and-reliefs. 70 Government of the United Kingdom. Bank Corporation Tax
59 Imperial Tobacco Limited. Financial Statements For the Year Surcharge. In: Customs HR, editor. 2015.
Ended 30 September 2017. 2018. 71 Chaloupka F, Sweanor D, Warner K. Differential taxes for differen-
60 British American Tobacco. Transforming Tobacco: Annual Report tial risks—toward reduced harm from nicotine-yielding products.
and Form 20-F 2017. 2018. N Engl J Med 2015;373:594–7.
61 Philip Morris Limited. Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 72 British American Tobacco UK Limitied. Directors’ Report and
December 2012. 2013. Financial Statement. 2017.