The Sodexo Group has established a tax policy that has been published on its website. The principle precepts of the policy are that the Sodexo Group undertakes to respect local tax laws and regulations that apply and pay its fair share of taxes in all countries where it operates, in line with the substance of the economic activity of the business locally. Sodexo is not using intended tax structures for tax avoidance nor investing in tax structures located in so-called “tax havens” in order to avoid taxes. The policy is based on the economic reality of the transactions and excludes fraud and tax evasion as well as hybrid mismatch arrangements from a tax standpoint. Therefore, the Group considers that it complies with the requirements of the new article L.225-102-1 of the French Commercial Code on fighting tax evasion.
Sodexo will always:
All significant tax positions are regularly reported to the Group Audit Committee.
Sodexo has been actively managing its risks for a long time. The legal requirements regarding the Duty of Vigilance therefore reflect the values and actions long championed by the Group and its founder, Mr. Pierre Bellon.
In accordance with French law, the Vigilance Plan presents the measures put in place within the Group to identify risks and prevent serious impacts in terms of (i) human rights and fundamental freedoms, (ii) individual health and safety, and (iii) environmental damages that may result from the Group’s activities and those of its subcontractors and suppliers.
As Sodexo operates in 53 countries in a variety of complex economic and socio-cultural contexts, it adapts its approach to the above issues in accordance with its different businesses and host countries. The Vigilance Plan covers Sodexo and its subsidiaries’ activities and is perfectly in line with its corporate responsibility roadmap.
In addition, the Group has put in place a dedicated governance system relating to ethics and compliance issues, as described in section 6.3.3 above.
Issues that fall within the scope of the Duty of Vigilance cover all businesses and involve numerous teams, including corporate responsibility, supply management, legal affairs, internal control, internal audit, human resources, ethics and operations. The Group’s work on these issues also involves its customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
No one can be exemplary if they are not exemplary within their own organization. Sodexo is committed to ensuring common standards for all and this commitment is set out in our Better Tomorrow 2025 plan, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our declaration on fundamental human rights.
The diagram below details the measures implemented by the Group in accordance with the obligations concerning the three categories of issues. These measures are described in more detail in chapter 2 of this Universal Registration Document.
