Anti-Facilitation of Tax Evasion Policy

About this Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:

• set out our responsibilities, and of those working for us, in observing and upholding our position on preventing the criminal facilitation of tax evasion; and
• provide information and guidance to those working for us on how to recognise and avoid tax evasion.

As an employer, if CPC fails to prevent its employees, workers, agents or service providers facilitating tax evasion, it can face criminal sanctions including an unlimited fine, as well as exclusion from tendering for public contracts and damage to its reputation. We therefore take our legal responsibilities seriously.

In this policy, third party means any individual or organisation you come into contact with during the course of your work for CPC, and includes actual and potential clients, customers, suppliers, distributors, business contacts, agents, advisers, and government and public bodies, including their advisers, representatives and officials, politicians and political parties.

This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and we may amend it at any time.

What you MUST NOT do

It is not acceptable for you (or someone on your behalf) to:

• engage in any form of facilitating tax evasion or foreign tax evasion;
• aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of a tax evasion offence or foreign tax evasion offence by another person;
• fail to report promptly any request or demand from any third party to facilitate the fraudulent evasion of tax (whether UK tax or tax in a foreign country), or any suspected fraudulent evasion of tax (whether UK tax or tax in a foreign country) by another person, in accordance with this policy;
• engage in any other activity that might lead to a breach of this policy; or
• threaten or retaliate against another individual who has refused to commit a tax evasion offence or a foreign tax evasion offence or who has raised concerns under this policy.

How to Raise a Concern

You are encouraged to raise concerns about any issue or suspicion of tax evasion or foreign tax evasion at the earliest possible stage.

If you become aware of any fraudulent evasion of tax (whether UK tax or tax in a foreign country) by another person in the course of your work, or you are asked to assist another person in their fraudulent evasion of tax (whether directly or indirectly), or if you believe or suspect that any fraudulent evasion of tax has occurred or may occur, whether in respect to UK tax or tax in a foreign country, you must notify the HR Department or report it in accordance with CPC’s Whistleblowing Policy as soon as possible.

If you are unsure about whether a particular act constitutes tax evasion or foreign tax evasion, raise it with your line manager or the Legal Department as soon as possible. You should note that the corporate offence is only committed where you deliberately and dishonestly take action to facilitate the tax evasion or foreign tax evasion. If you do not take any such action, then the offence will not be made out. However, a deliberate failure to report suspected tax evasion or foreign tax evasion, or “turning a blind eye” to suspicious activity could amount to criminal facilitation of tax evasion.

Please note that if you intend to or have raised a concern about any issue or suspicion of tax evasion or foreign tax evasion, you must not:

• tell or notify the person whom you suspect of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of tax evasion or tax fraud; or
• tell or notify any person or client whom you suspect of committing criminal tax fraud or tax evasion, that, in either case, you are going to or have made a report to your line manager or the HR Department.

Such notification may constitute the crime of “tipping off” under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Protection

Individuals who raise concerns or report another’s wrongdoing are sometimes worried about possible repercussions. We aim to encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this policy, even if they turn out to be mistaken.

We are committed to ensuring no one suffers any detrimental treatment as a result of:

• refusing to take part in, be concerned in, or facilitate tax evasion or foreign tax evasion by another person;
• refusing to aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of a tax evasion offence or a foreign tax evasion offence by another person; or
• reporting in good faith their suspicion that an actual or potential tax evasion offence or foreign tax evasion offence has taken place, or may take place in the future.

Detrimental treatment includes dismissal, disciplinary action, threats or other unfavourable treatment connected with raising a concern. If you believe that you have suffered any such treatment, you should inform the HR Department immediately. If the matter is not remedied, and you are an employee, you should raise it formally using our Grievance Procedure.

Potential Risk Scenarios “RED FLAGS”

The following is a list of possible red flags that may arise during the course of you working for us and which may raise concerns related to tax evasion or foreign tax evasion.

The list is not intended to be exhaustive and is for illustrative purposes only. If you encounter any of these red flags while working for us, you must report them promptly to the HR Department or using the procedure set out in the Whistleblowing Policy:

• You become aware, in the course of your work, that a third party has made or intends to make a false statement relating to tax, has failed to disclose income or gains to, or to register with, HMRC (or the equivalent authority in any relevant non-UK jurisdiction), has delivered or intends to deliver a false document relating to tax, or has set up or intends to set up a structure to try to hide income, gains or assets from a tax authority.
• You become aware, in the course of your work, that a third party has deliberately failed to register for VAT (or the equivalent tax in any relevant non-UK jurisdiction) or failed to account for VAT.
• A third-party requests payment in cash and/or refuses to sign a formal commission or fee agreement, or to provide an invoice or receipt for a payment made.
• You become aware, in the course of your work, that a third party working for us as an employee asks to be treated as a self-employed contractor, but without any material changes to their working conditions.
• A supplier or other subcontractor is paid gross when they should have been paid net, under a scheme such as the Construction Industry Scheme.
• A third party requests that payment is made to a country or geographic location different from where the third party resides or conducts business.
• A third party to whom we have provided services requests that their invoice is addressed to a different entity, where we did not provide services to such entity directly.
• A third party to whom we have provided services asks us to change the description of services rendered on an invoice in a way that seems designed to obscure the nature of the services provided.
• You receive an invoice from a third party that appears to be non-standard or customised.
• A third party insists on the use of side letters or refuses to put terms agreed in writing or asks for contracts or other documentation to be backdated.
• You notice that we have been invoiced for a commission or fee payment that appears too large or too small, given the service stated to have been provided.
• A third party requests or requires the use of an agent, intermediary, consultant, distributor or supplier that is not typically used by or known to us.

This policy will be reviewed at regular intervals to take account of any updates in process, management, legislation, or stakeholder expectations.

This policy is managed by the Finance Team and is approved by the Managing Partner who has accountability.

Date: July 2022

Next Review: Jan 2024