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Clamping down on tax avoidance practised by large retailers should form a key part of creating a fairer tax system, Nick Clegg will say today.
In a speech to the Association of Convenience Stores, the Liberal Democrats' leader is expected to set out how tax cuts for people on low and middle-incomes can in part be paid for by closing loopholes enjoyed by leading supermarkets.
Mr Clegg plans to say that it is wrong that some major chains avoid paying taxes through complex off-shore arrangements, and he will argue that the billions of pounds of lost revenue should be used to fund tax cuts for struggling families.
The Lib Dem head is also scheduled to tell delegates that supermarkets have got 'the taxman eating out of the palms of their hands', adding that tax avoidance in the UK is 'a slick and highly lucrative industry'.
It is anticipated that Mr Clegg will cite Tesco as an example of a retail giant that exploits 'hugely complex tax avoidance schemes' by 'putting in place structures to save millions on stamp duty-related taxes'.
