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Balance Landill Tax Escalator with crime crackdown
13.03.2008
ESA has welcomed today’s Budget confirmation that increases in landfill tax will be offset by reductions in corporation tax. Commenting on the confirmation that from April 2008 the landfill tax escalator will rise by £8/t from April 2008 until 2010-11 and potentially beyond, Dirk Hazell, ESA's Chief Executive said:
“ESA warmly welcomes today’s statement which, as previously announced by the Government, sees a return to fiscal neutrality on landfill tax paid by business, a policy ESA has always supported.
We believe that it is essential that additional tax revenue from business as a result of the increase in this component of the landfill tax escalator are recycled to business through the reductions in corporation tax, as announced in last year’s Budget. This reflects ESA’s long standing and principled view that environmental taxes should be fiscally neutral for business.
However, landfill tax increases represent a potential incentive to criminals to fly-tip and a further additional cost for local authorities. There must be some hypothecation of this component of the landfill tax escalator to the Environment Agency so it can develop its excellent work in detecting, prosecuting and securing the conviction of criminals who seek to profit from endangering the environment and human health. Ours must be a zero tolerance Country for criminal fly-tippers."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
ESA is the UK’s sectoral trade association for waste and secondary resource management, an industry accounting for 0.7% GDP.
Embargo: None
Reference: ESA
Contact: Dr Steven Toole (020) 7591 3219 or s-toole@esauk.org
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