How ‘Amazon tax’ could save your local pub and community

LocalBusiness & Finance
29 Jul 2025 • 1:53 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) proposes a tax on wealthy firms, such as Amazon, to fund community regeneration and foster social cohesion.
  • The suggestion follows summer riots, including those in Southport, which the IPPR links to community disrepair and the loss of shared physical spaces.
  • The report highlights a significant decline in community venues across the UK, citing the closure of hundreds of pubs, youth clubs, and local authority spaces.
  • It recommends establishing a '21st-century welfare fund' through higher levies on online retailers' warehouses or an online sales tax, targeting companies with revenues over £1 million.
  • The IPPR argues that rebuilding local infrastructure is vital to combat division and counter the influence of the far-right, which exploits the void left by lost community solidarity.

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