Who is lobbying to raise taxes in the UK? (Part 1)

What is Tax Justice UK?

Tax Justice UK is a UK-based campaigning and advocacy organization that pushes for progressive tax reform. Its core mission is to create a "fair and effective tax system" that ensures everyone in the UK benefits, primarily by raising significantly more revenue from the wealthiest individuals and closing loopholes to fund public services and reduce inequality.

Key Goals and Activities

• Focus on wealth taxation: It prominently campaigns for new or increased taxes on the super-rich, such as a proposed 2% wealth tax on individuals with assets over £10 million (affecting roughly the top 0.04% of the population). It also advocates closing loopholes, reforming council tax/business rates, and other measures to generate tens of billions annually for public services like the NHS, education, and social care.
• Broader agenda: It promotes higher taxes on high incomes, corporations, and wealth (e.g., inheritance tax, capital gains), while opposing what it sees as under-taxation of the rich that exacerbates inequality. It also links tax policy to issues like the climate crisis.
• Methods: The group engages in public campaigning, petitions, media work, research-backed proposals (e.g., "Ten tax reforms to raise over £50–60 billion"), building coalitions with other organizations, and lobbying policymakers. It describes itself as non-partisan but clearly left-leaning in its emphasis on redistribution.

Its slogan and homepage messaging emphasize: "We’re fighting for fairer taxes that take more from the super-rich – and reverse inequality in the UK."

Origins and Structure

Tax Justice UK was incubated by the Tax Justice Network (an international advocacy group focused on tax havens, corporate avoidance, and global financial transparency) and became an independent organization around 2017. It is a separate entity from the global Tax Justice Network (which has a broader international remit) but shares similar ideological roots and sometimes collaborates.

It is registered as a company in the UK (TAX JUSTICE UK, company number 10761736) and operates as a campaigning NGO. Funding comes from donations (it actively solicits regular and one-off contributions from the public), grants from foundations (e.g., Trust for London), and other supporters aligned with progressive causes.

Context and Perspective

The group frames the UK's current tax system as failing to raise enough revenue for essential services while allowing extreme wealth to go undertaxed. Critics of such organizations often argue that their proposals risk capital flight ("millionaire exodus"), disincentivize investment, or overlook existing high effective tax burdens on high earners—though Tax Justice UK and allies have published research pushing back on exodus claims.

In summary, Tax Justice UK is an activist group dedicated to shifting UK tax policy leftward toward greater redistribution through higher wealth and top-end taxes. Its website (taxjustice.uk) provides detailed policy proposals, campaign updates, and ways to get involved or donate. It is distinct from but related to the international Tax Justice Network.