Tax supplement 2023
Tax supplement 2023
1
Foreword from our
Group Chief Financial Officer
Our purpose is to make a positive difference to society while delivering value for our shareholders. We manage our business and our tax affairs in a sustainable and responsible way as part of this.
This tax supplement sets out our tax strategy for the Group - what we will and will not do in relation to tax - and provides a more detailed review of how much tax we pay, where we pay it and of the numbers in the Annual report and accounts.
Contents
Our approach to sustainability and tax |
2 |
Tax in our financial statements |
10 |
Our tax strategy |
3 |
Our tax governance framework |
13 |
Our tax strategy in action |
4 |
Our attitude to tax planning and |
|
Our year in review |
5 |
the use of tax advisors |
15 |
Our tax universe |
6 |
Our interaction with tax authorities |
|
Our total tax contribution |
7 |
other third parties |
15 |
Our global tax footprint |
8 |
Demystifying tax - useful terms |
16 |
Annual report: group.legalandgeneral.com/reports
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
Our approach to sustainability and tax
2
A sustainable business
At
Our purpose is to build a better society while creating value for our shareholders. We're conscious of the impact we have on the environment, the economy and society.
Our business divisions and our strategic growth drivers are aligned to environmental and social themes and we see the sustainability agenda as central to our business. We also see it as a source of commercial potential for the Group. The transition to net zero, the housing crisis and
the need to invest in healthcare and other infrastructure all present opportunities for the long-term investment of capital against our future pension liabilities. Further details can be found in our Annual report and accounts, see: group.legalandgeneral.com/reports.
We run our tax affairs in line with the same principles and aim to have a sustainable, well governed, fair and transparent approach to tax. This supplement provides more details on our approach to tax and sets out our total tax contribution.
About
Established in 1836, we are one of the
In institutional retirement we take on pension scheme liabilities, 'de-risking' corporate pension schemes in both the
We aim to be:
We invest across specialist commercial real estate, clean energy, housing and SME finance, generating attractive returnsfromassetswhichbenefitsociety.
We are one of the world's leading asset managers with £1.2 trillion of assets under management.
Sustainable in the long term |
Well governed |
Our Group's tax rate depends |
We manage tax risk like |
on our business performance |
any other risk in our business |
and not artificial tax planning. |
and invest in our people. |
Social impact report:
Our 2023 Social impact report is available on our Group website. See: group.legalandgeneral.com/reports
Fair
We recognise the impact tax has on wider society and undertake to act responsibly in all tax matters.
Transparent
We seek to explain the taxation of our business to all our stakeholders.
We help millions of people in the
3
Our tax strategy
Here we set out our strategy for a sustainable,
well governed, fair, and transparent approach to tax.
Our behaviours
We always consider the Group's reputation, and corporate and social responsibilities, when considering tax.
We work with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other tax authorities cooperatively, collaboratively and, where possible, on a real time basis.
We consider tax as part of every major business decision.
We contribute to the development of
Our approach to tax is consistent with our values. We manage tax risk consistently with the Group's three lines of defence risk management framework.
Our actions
Where possible, we meet all our legal requirements, making all appropriate tax returns and tax payments accurately and on time, in the territories in which we operate.
We do not undertake any transactions with the sole purpose
of creating a tax benefit in excess of what is intended by relevant tax legislation, or what is outside of the Group's risk appetite, or is not in line with our Group Code of Ethics.
We operate appropriate tax risk governance processes, including Board oversight.
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
Our tax strategy in action
4
Sustainable and responsible tax management is part of our approach to how we do business.
We pay the right tax, at the right time and in the right place
Our tax strategy helps us meet our aims and is reviewed and approved annually by our Audit Committee on behalf of the Board. As
The Group tax team at
in line with our published tax strategy and wider commercial purpose."
Tax commitments
- We recognise that our stakeholders in tax not only include our investors, tax authorities, customers, and employees, but also wider society.
- We aim to provide useful information to our stakeholders to help them understand how we manage our tax affairs and the contribution
we make to society through the taxes we pay. This includes voluntarily disclosing additional information which we consider useful for our stakeholders to better understand our tax affairs. - We aim to have an open, cooperative, and collaborative working relationship with HMRC, and other tax authorities where appropriate, across all our taxes.
- We believe that open consultation with Governments results in more informed and sustainable tax legislation.
- We work with Governments both directly and via industry trade bodies to respond to consultations and
to explain the impact of proposals on our business, customers, and investors. - We engage with a range of interested parties and non-governmental organisations to discuss concerns about the tax system and responsible and transparent tax practices of large companies.
- We recognise the expectations society, Governments and consumers have of large companies on tax responsibility and transparency.
- As a significant investor, we ensure we speak to the companies we invest in about their tax policy and management as part of our overall engagement with them on governance, and environmental and social impact.
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
Our year in review
As part of our commitment to tax transparency, this Tax Supplement expands on the information given in our Annual report and accounts. This includes our total tax contribution, consolidated country-by-country data and an explanation of our tax charge.
5
Our 2023 tax position
Our total tax contribution of £1,582 million is lower in 2023 than in prior years. This reduction is primarily due to a reduction in
We have a net tax credit for the year of £367m
(2022 net tax expense of £86m (restated)), which includes a material one-off tax credit arising from the introduction of a new
We have included our year-on-year total tax contribution for the past six years in this report to provide easy context for our tax contribution.
Changes to the global tax environment
With the global economic outlook remaining uncertain as people adapt to higher interest rates and inflation, Governments remain focused on both raising revenues and promoting growth across the economy and the tax regime has a role to play here. In the
tax rate has been held at 25% and personal income tax thresholds remain frozen. These changes have an impact across our businesses, our investments, our employees and our customers.
New accounting standards, regulations, tax legislation and tax reporting requirements continue to add to the complexities and compliance obligations that businesses face. During 2023, there are two significant changes which impact us: IFRS 17 and
IFRS 17 'for Insurance Contracts' is a new global accounting standard which came into effect on
During the year, the
In
Both the
Our purpose and tax
Our purpose is to build a better society and make
a positive difference to people's lives while delivering value for our shareholders. We believe that paying tax is part of the impact we have on the economy and society and that the tax regime should endeavour to balance the needs of all stakeholders across society, whilst ensuring that policies do not create unintended consequences.
We monitor risks and complexities across all the territories in which we operate, to ensure we pay the right tax, at the right time, in the right place, consistent with our tax strategy.
£1,582m
total tax contribution
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
Our tax universe
Tax encompasses more than just a charge on a company's profits. We pay and collect taxes
at all parts of our business cycle, from the premiums we invest to the tax we pay on our profits.
The taxes we pay primarily arise where our business assets, capital, people, and customers are located - where we have real economic substance.
6
Taxes paid
Corporate income tax
The tax we pay on the profits we earn.
Employer NIC
We pay
Corporate income tax
Irrecoverable VAT
Employer NIC
Stamp duties
Withholding taxes
Taxes collected
Product-related taxes
The taxes on our products, including income tax collected on our pension business and payments made to annuity holders.
Net VAT collected
We collect VAT and sales tax on the services and products we sell to our customers. The VAT and sales tax collected less the amount of VAT we can recover from transactions with our
Stamp duties
The tax we pay on legal transactions in regard to the properties and shares we buy.
Irrecoverable VAT
We pay VAT when we buy goods and services from our suppliers. Unlike most other businesses, we are unable to recover a proportion of the VAT that we incur and this is a large cost
to our business.
Withholding taxes
We pay withholding taxes on certain types of income we receive, mainly on overseas dividend income. The withholding tax paid can be offset against our corporate income tax. Where this is not possible, the tax paid is a cost to our business.
Other taxes
We pay business rates on the offices and other properties we own and operate out of.
Our business |
Our people |
Our investments |
Tax on our profits, |
Income tax, NIC |
For example, |
employment taxes |
and social care levy |
withholding taxes |
and transaction |
withheld and paid |
on investment |
taxes. |
to HMRC. |
returns and |
transaction taxes. |
Other taxes |
PAYE/NIC |
Withholding taxes |
Our customers
For example, income
tax withheld and paid to HMRC on annuity payments.
Product-related
taxes
VAT
suppliers is paid across to the tax authorities.
PAYE/NIC
The taxes we collect from employee wages on behalf of governments, primarily
Withholding taxes
The taxes we collect on interest and similar payments made to our customers.
Other taxes
There are a number of other taxes we collect as part our business, for example stamp duty on share dealings by our customers.
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
7
Our total tax contribution
At
Our total tax contribution of £1,582 million is lower in 2023 than in prior years. This reduction is primarily due to a reduction in
Tax paid
These are taxes paid directly to the tax authorities in the countries in which we operate including corporate income tax on profits, employer NICs and withholding taxes on investment income. 2023:
£461m
Total taxes paid
£461m |
£0m Profit taxes
£178m Withholding taxes suffered in the
£69m
£70m
£100m
£37m Other overseas taxes £7m Overseas profit tax
Tax collected
- These are taxes generated in our value chain but not directly suffered by
Legal & General . We collect these taxes and pay them on to relevant tax authorities. 2023:
£1,121m
Total taxes collected
£1,121m
£568m
£13m
£199m
£274m
=
Total tax contribution
The total value of taxes that
£1,582m
Total tax contribution (£m)
1,800
1,000
1,600 7828118201,121
1,400
1,200 565
1,000 |
||||||
800 |
781 |
818 |
835 |
838 |
||
700 |
||||||
600 |
||||||
400 |
461 |
|||||
200 |
||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Total taxes paid |
Total taxes collected |
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
8
Our global tax footprint
Our consolidated Group includes approximately 450 entities, including companies, branches, funds, trusts, and partnerships operating across the globe.
We have corporate offices in the
Our Group's asset management, insurance and savings activities can be complex and involve significant transactional volumes and values as well as cross-border transactions. Where we suffer and pay tax reflects the reality of the global nature of our business.
The taxes we pay in future years will be impacted by changes to tax and accounting rules, in particular IFRS 17 and the introduction of a global minimum tax regime. These are explained in the following sections.
Reinsurance
Our Bermudan operations are staffed by our dedicated team of insurance and finance professionals. As there were no profit taxes in
Investment funds
We have established collective investment schemes, which are investment funds or entities, in the
Regardless of what territory the fund is established in, investors will pay tax on their returns in line with the tax rules of the jurisdiction they are resident in. In some situations, investors may also pay tax in the jurisdiction in which the fund is located; for example, overseas investors may pay
Where our Group companies invest in these funds, they pay corporate income tax in their country of residence (usually the
Although the funds do not typically pay additional tax in the territory in which they are resident, funds may receive some investment return, such as dividends, net of withholding taxes which are imposed by other territories.
It is sometimes possible to reclaim these taxes depending on the tax agreements in place between the relevant jurisdictions. We routinely undertake tax reclaims on behalf of our funds where this is in line with local law and industry practice. This reclaim process is typically undertaken by our custodians with oversight from Group Tax.
Where we feel that the application of withholding tax is contrary to the law, we file claims with the respective tax authorities, for example where withholding taxes are suffered on certain investments in EU territories. These claims may result in litigation against the respective tax authority. Where claims are made on behalf of the funds, the net proceeds of successful claims are paid to the relevant funds.
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
9
Our global tax footprint
continued
Our global tax contribution can be broken down as:
2023 total |
Profit |
2023 |
||||||
corporate |
Other |
2022 |
||||||
2023 |
income |
taxes |
taxes |
Taxes |
total tax |
2022 |
total tax |
|
Country |
profit1 |
tax charge |
paid2 |
paid |
collected |
contribution |
profit1,4 |
contribution |
|
(221) |
(44) |
179 |
238 |
1,054 |
1,471 |
967 |
1,735 |
|
(11) |
6 |
5 |
34 |
62 |
101 |
(1) |
94 |
|
309 |
(329) |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
(99) |
2 |
|
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Other3 |
(2) |
- |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
(4) |
2 |
Total |
76 |
(367) |
186 |
275 |
1,121 |
1,582 |
868 |
1,838 |
All figures in £million
- IFRS profit before tax.
- Includes withholding taxes suffered on our overseas investments.
- This covers the other territories in which we operate, none of which are individually material.
- 2022 profits restated.
Global minimum tax regime
During the year, the
The Group is expected to be liable to
During 2023, the Bermudan Government consulted on introducing a local corporate income tax regime with effect from
This has resulted in a deferred tax asset of £340m as at
The deferred tax asset of £340m is included within the deferred tax disclosure in note 28 within the line item 'difference between tax and accounting value of insurance contracts.'
We do not anticipate any other significant liabilities under the global minimum tax rules based on the Group's current profile. This will be kept under review as the Group's activities continue to evolve.
Legal & General Group Plc 2023 Tax supplement
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