Scottish Greens to hit online giants with ‘Amazon tax’ to back high street
The Scottish Greens have called for a new “Amazon Tax” to make large predominantly online based retail businesses pay more towards the communities and local economies that host them.
Under the bold plans, a surcharge would be added through the Non-Domestic Rates system, applying to large online-based operations such as distribution centres, offsetting the economic damage caused by falling footfall numbers in high streets across Scotland.
While small independent businesses struggle to survive in towns and cities across Scotland, giants like Amazon continue to expand while giving far too little back to the places affected by their business model.
The policy is designed to shift the balance of power from online-based businesses whose model has accelerated the decline of local high streets - like Amazon - while helping smaller Scotland-based businesses compete on a level playing field.
Scottish Greens Co-leader Gillian Mackay said:
“Scotland has some of the best small businesses anywhere in the world, but when huge global online retailers are making enormous profits, it is our high streets that are being hollowed-out while local businesses are pushed to the brink.
“The Scottish Greens will build a tax system that is fair, progressive and fit for the future. To do that, we need to shift the burden off of working people and smaller businesses, and on to those causing the greatest economic harm.
“For years, companies like Amazon have taken more and more from our economy and communities while giving far too little back.
“They have been a root cause to the decline of our local high streets, piling pressure onto smaller retailers and sucking huge amounts of wealth out of Scotland’s communities.
“The Scottish Greens’ Amazon tax is about rebalancing that by supporting our local businesses and town centres. These aren’t just shops, they are community hubs and they make our neighbourhoods into thriving and better places to live."
Gillian added:
“The Scottish Greens believe in fairness. That’s why we will always stand up for small local businesses, which keep wealth in our communities and provide vital local jobs, while standing up to the global giants who are allowed to dominate the market without paying their fair share.
“A vote for the Scottish Greens on 7th May is a vote to back Scotland’s high streets, support local jobs and make sure the tax system works for all of Scotland’s communities, not just for the wealthy.”
