Taxation and Our Total Economic Contribution to Public Finances 2018 Tax and Our Total Contribution | Country Contributions | Appendices
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Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances 2018 Tax and our total contribution | Country contributions | Appendices Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances This Report sets out our total contribution to public finances globally for 2018 – the financial year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. 3 CFO introduction 23 Our total contribution, 4 Data highlights 2018 by country 5 Overview 24 Country overview 6 Corporate responsibilities and obligations 25 Introduction 9 Multinationals, governments and tax 27 Reporting by country • Developing tax regimes for the • Europe digital age • AMAP* 12 Vodafone’s Tax Principles and Strategy • Vodafone Business 13 Vodafone, Luxembourg and ‘tax havens’ • Other entities • European Commission illegal state 70 aid investigations Appendices 16 Why does Vodafone pay little or no 71 1. Summary table of our contributions, by country UK corporation tax? 75 2. Key Vodafone Group financials and statistics 17 Political engagement and our 76 3. Our OECD BEPS country-by-country report contribution to the development of 82 4. HMRC/Vodafone controlled foreign tax policy companies settlement • Publishing our OECD CbC report 83 5. Types of taxation 19 Tax and emerging markets 84 6. List of stakeholders • African continent 85 7. Glossary of key terms • Vodacom Group 87 8. Assurance statement • India * This report covers the period to 31 March 2018. The Group revised its reporting segments on 1 October 2018 to reflect changes to its organisational structure. The Rest of the World region (previously AMAP – Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific) comprises the Vodacom, Turkey and Other Markets operating segments. Vodafone Group Plc | Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances 2018 2 Tax and our total contribution | Country contributions | Appendices CFO introduction Acting with integrity in the creation and the infrastructure that supports wider society. transparent way (with profits taxed where value is execution of our tax strategy, policies It is, therefore, in the interest of businesses created), an issue we discuss in more detail later. to support the operation of fair, effective and and practices is absolutely core to our As regular readers of this Report will know, our predictable tax regimes that the public can trust approach to tax, as is our commitment to strategy, policy and principles in relation to and that meet governments’ public financing transparency. We disclose our financial tax have remained consistent for many years. needs. Increasing understanding of tax systems This year, however, for the first time, and as a contributions to governments at a is also strongly in the interests of all parties. country level, as we believe this is an result of our determination to share relevant important way to demonstrate that it is information with our stakeholders, we have included our OECD country-by-country (CbC) possible to achieve an effective balance We believe that it is in report, as submitted to HMRC in March 2018. between a company’s responsibilities to society as a whole, through the payment shareholders’ interests that While the OECD does not require the external publication of this information and of taxes (and other government revenue- companies fully acknowledge recommends that tax authorities limit their raising mechanisms), and its obligations their responsibilities to use of it to high-level risk assessments only, to its shareholders. given the comprehensive nature of our public Margherita Della Valle wider society, including the disclosures in this area and our long-standing By publishing all the data contained in this Chief Financial Officer commitment to transparency, we have no Report, for every country in which we have a Vodafone Group Plc payment of all taxes due hesitation in sharing this information publicly. legal entity, and on an actual cash-paid basis This year’s Report also contains the summary (the money actually paid to governments in a under effective tax regimes provided to tax authorities to help them given year), we aim to provide a detailed view understand the CbC report, which shows how of the contributions we make wherever we the parts of the Group work together to support operate. Our approach also aims to remove This year, we have welcomed the debate on our local operating companies with the delivery the potential for ambiguity that can result the taxation of the digital economy. While of products and services to our customers. from complex accounting treatments, while digitalisation can be transformative, the way supporting and enhancing our other annual in which some of these businesses operate We continue to engage with many stakeholders, financial disclosures. and drive value provides a challenge to long- from NGOs, industry bodies and professional established tax systems. In reviewing these finance and accounting communities to Companies need to demonstrate their systems, governments need to identify a more policymakers and tax authorities, and welcome commitment to wider society by, among other equitable approach, one that results in digital their perspective on the information and views things, the payment of the taxes that are due, businesses being taxed in a sustainable and contained in our latest Report. as governments rely on that income to fund Margherita Della Valle Chief Financial Officer Vodafone Group Plc Vodafone Group Plc | Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances 2018 3 Tax and our total contribution | Country contributions | Appendices Data highlights 2018 Our business1 Our revenue1 Our total economic contribution Vodafone’s turnover was In cash terms, we contributed €46.6 billion, on which we more than €13.3 billion to made a profit before tax public finances globally. 536 122 of €3.9 billion. million million mobile 4G customers3 €33.9 billion €2.4 billion €3.1 billion customers2 revenue from direct non-tax- direct taxes Europe based fees 19.74 68 €46.6 €13.3 million million billion billion fixed broadband IoT connections customers €11.5 billion €7.8 billion €1.2 billion revenue from indirect taxes partner markets Africa, Middle East 35 and common functions and Asia-Pacific million 104,000 mobile money employees5 €14.7 €3.9 €7.3 customers billion billion billion 20.6% €1.1 billion adjusted profit on capital adjusted effective total corporate taxes paid EBITDA before tax expenditure tax rate For more information, see our Annual Report 2018 and our Sustainable Business Report. 1 Figures taken from Vodafone Group Annual Report 2018 4 Includes India, JVs and associates 2 Including India, joint ventures (JVs) and associates 5 This figure is for direct employees of Vodafone and 3 Includes Netherlands and India does not include employees of our JVs and associates Vodafone Group Plc | Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances 2018 4 Tax and our total contribution | Country contributions | Appendices Overview In 2018, Vodafone’s revenue was At a country level, our total contribution is €46.6 billion, on which we made a profit broadly in line with last year in the majority of before tax of €3.9 billion. We contributed our markets, with some exceptions reflecting the absence of spectrum auctions. It also reflects local – directly and indirectly – more than circumstances such as increased capital expenditure €13.3 billion to public finances (and, therefore, capital allowances) or the effect of worldwide, compared with €14.2 billion refunds of taxes overpaid in previous periods. in 2017. The year-on-year decrease is as a result of fewer spectrum licence Total contributions to governments auctions taking place in that year. Total contributions to governments Direct revenue Specifically, we paid nearly €3.1 billion in Indirect taxes cDiontributionrect revenue – tax direct taxes, including more than €1.4 billion in Indirect taxes contribution – tax Direct revenue corporate income taxes, more than €2.4 billion cDirontributionect revenue –contribution tax via non-taxation based revenue mechanisms, €3.1 – tax such as payments for the right to use spectrum, €3.1bn Direct revenue bn cDirontributionect revenue and collected €7.8 billion of indirect taxes €7.8 –contribution non-tax €7.8bn – non-tax for governments around the world. We also bn €2.4 Indirect revenue invested €9.2 billion6 in our network and €2.4bn cIndiontributionrect revenue bn Direct revenue contribution services globally. cDiontributionrect revenue – non-taxcontribution – non-tax €13.3 billion total Total capital expenditure7 contribution to governments Є9.6 10 Є9.2 bn Є9 bn Є8.9 bn bn Across the Group as a whole, our adjusted 8 effective tax rate (ETR) for the 2018 financial year Є6.3 was 20.6%, which is lower than in 2017 (25.4%) bn 6 as a result of the closure of tax audits in Germany and Romania. When comparing our total profit 4 before tax with our total corporate taxes paid in actual cash terms, our ‘actual cash-paid’ tax rate at 25.1% was higher than our adjusted ETR, 2 (20.6%). We therefore pay €1 in corporate tax for every €4 we make in profit globally. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 6 See reconciliation on page 75 7 Includes India, JVs and associates Vodafone Group Plc | Taxation and our total economic contribution to public finances 2018 5 Tax and our total contribution | Country contributions | Appendices Corporate responsibilities and obligations We are committed to acting with in all shareholders’ interests that companies integrity, honesty and transparency in fully acknowledge their responsibilities to wider the creation and execution of our tax society, including the payment of all taxes due under effective tax regimes. We also recognise strategy, policies and practices. and value the benefits for society that arise In doing so, we are mindful that as a publicly from well-functioning taxation systems. listed company we have obligations to a very wide range of stakeholders, some of which may be in tension with each other.