Annual review Specsavers Annual Report LR Proof | Page 28
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
OUR POSITION
SUPPORTING
OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
26
At Specsavers, we are passionate about giving back to Last year, more than £90m of tax was paid on profits
and working with our local communities, wherever in the generated by Specsavers businesses to the governments
world we operate. We support many local, national and of the countries in which those businesses operated. In
international causes, and are committed to supporting addition, we generated and collected a number of other
eyecare and hearing care projects in developing countries. taxes, such as employee and sales taxes. In 2017/18, the
In the past 12 months, we have donated more than £2.5m total amount contributed to tax authorities around the
to charities and good causes globally. world as a consequence of Specsavers’ commercial
activities exceeded £590m.
Tax payments make a vital contribution to sustaining social
welfare across all our markets, enabling governments to Our stores provide employment for more than 29,500 local
fund policies that help people avoid economic hardship. people, all of whom have access to regular training and
We recognise our responsibility to pay the amount of tax development, helping them to progress through Specsavers
legally due in the country in which that liability arises and on their chosen career path. The same is true for the
to comply with the applicable rules and regulations in each 3,000 people who are employed in our support offices and
of the countries in which we operate. manufacturing and distribution sites around the world.
27