Nicola Sturgeon to publish her tax returns – finally
NICOLA Sturgeon has agreed to release years of backdated tax returns covering more than £800,000 of income.
The First Minister made the commitment while appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe this week.
Talking to LBC broadcaster Iain Dale at the Pleasance EICC, Ms Sturgeon was reminded she pledged to publish her tax return every year as First Minister.
However, she only published one return covering just her first few months in Bute House.
Asked why she didn’t stick to her plan, Ms Sturgeon said: “I’m happy to do it. There’s nothing in my tax return that will cause anybody any angst.”
Asked again why she didn’t do what she said she would, the First Minister said: “Maybe I just have had other things that I’ve been working with. I am more than happy to publish tax returns. There is nothing … I do this job and that’s it basically.”
Ms Sturgeon was one of many senior politicians to publish their tax returns in April 2016 after then-Tory Prime Minister David Cameron was embroiled in a row over tax avoidance.
It followed the so-called Panama Papers scandal, when millions of files dating back to the 1970s were leaked from the Panamanian legal and financial firm Mossack Fonseca.
They included details of an offshore fund set up by Mr Cameron’s father in 1982.
After a public outcry, Mr Cameron issued a summary of his own tax affairs in an attempt to defuse criticism.
With the scandal erupting during a Holyrood election campaign, Scotland’s thenpolitical leaders did the same.
Ms Sturgeon’s return for 2014/15 showed that, minus pension contributions, she was paid a salary of £104,817, and paid £31,551 in income tax.
The SNP announced she was “committed to publishing her tax return annually, when it is submitted, for as long as she is First Minister”.
Scottish ministers have taken a voluntary pay freeze since April 2009 which means the First Minister’s effective salary is around £135,000, although she also gets around £40,000 a year in pension benefits.
As her last published tax return was for 2014/15, she has six years yet to disclose in line with her commitment, or seven if 2021/22 has already been filed.
The missing years from 2015/16 to 2020/21 cover income of more than £810,000.
A spokesperson for Ms Sturgeon said: “As the First Minister clearly stated earlier this week, she is happy to publish her tax returns and will do so in due course – but will the two UK Tory Prime Minister candidates do likewise?”