Labour’s biggest private donor? ‘Tax dodge specialists’ accountancy firm PwC

Sam Coates
The Times
File photo dated 01/10/12 of a sign of for PWC as the Big Four accountancy firm was accused of promoting “tax avoidance on an industrial scale” to numerous multinational firms in a scathing report by MPs. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday February 6, 2015. PwC was heavily criticised in an investigation by the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on how accountants provide “complex strategies and contrived structures” to big companies to help them slash tax bills. It found that arrangements to divert profits artificially via Luxembourg promoted to numerous PwC clients “bear all the characteristics of a mass-marketed tax avoidance scheme”. MPs investigated following the leak of hundreds of documents last November that appeared to show how the firm secured deals with Luxembourg tax authorities for 343 multinational companies between 2002 and 2010. See PA story CITY Tax. Photo credit should read: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
File photo dated 01/10/12 of a sign of for PWC as the Big Four accountancy firm was accused of promoting “tax avoidance on an industrial scale” to numerous multinational firms in a scathing report by MPs. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday February 6, 2015. PwC was heavily criticised in an investigation by the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on how accountants provide “complex strategies and contrived structures” to big companies to help them slash tax bills. It found that arrangements to divert profits artificially via Luxembourg promoted to numerous PwC clients “bear all the characteristics of a mass-marketed tax avoidance scheme”. MPs investigated following the leak of hundreds of documents last November that appeared to show how the firm secured deals with Luxembourg tax authorities for 343 multinational companies between 2002 and 2010. See PA story CITY Tax. Photo credit should read: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
PHILIP TOSCANO/PA
Sam Coates
The Times

Labour’s biggest private donor is the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers the Electoral Commission revealed yesterday despite accusations from a senior Labour MP that the firm has been “selling tax avoidance on an industrial scale”.

A PwC “forensic accountant” for the firm worked in the office of Ed Balls, according to Parliamentary records, while a manager of PwC’s capital markets division worked with Chuka Umunna in the Labour business team.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow work and pensions secretary, and Chris Leslie, shadow chief secretary, also recorded the use of PwC staff in their register of members’ interests.

The Electoral Commission revealed Labour received the £386,605 donation in kind from PWC in November. The sum represents the cost of staff seconded to the party to help work on