Tax Statment

UK TAX STRATEGY STATEMENT

This statement applies to Columbia Sportswear Company Limited (a UK company). Columbia Sportswear Company Limited regards this statement as complying with its duty under paragraph 19(2) of Schedule 19, Finance Act 2016.

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited is a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company, a multinational company with global operations.

This strategy relates to the year ended 31 December 2021 and applies from the date of publication until it is superseded.

This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of Colombia Sportswear Company Limited.

Approach to Risk Management and Governance

At Columbia Sportswear Company we are committed to doing the right thing and to comply with tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we do business, including the UK. Columbia Sportswear Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) captures our core principles and serves as a guide for our day-to-day decisions and actions. This UK Tax Strategy Statement conforms with our Code, which has been approved by Columbia Sportswear Company’s Board of Directors.

The day-to-day implementation of this UK Tax Strategy Statement and related processes and controls are delegated to and managed by our Europe tax and finance departments and supported by the global corporate tax department.

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited’s tax affairs and approach to tax risk management are regularly reviewed by the Europe tax and finance departments and the global corporate tax department to ensure that there are appropriate controls in place to enable us to identify, assess, manage, and mitigate tax risk in alignment with the governance framework described above. Ultimately, Columbia Sportswear Company’s global tax strategy, including for Columbia Sportswear Company Limited, is approved by senior tax and finance management located in our Portland, Oregon headquarters and they provide regular updates on tax matters to the Columbia Sportswear Company Board of Directors.

Attitude towards Tax Planning

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited does not engage in artificial tax arrangements. We take multiple factors into consideration when structuring our tax planning to support Columbia Sportswear Company’s strategic objectives and commercial business activities, including applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate and the principles in our Code. We seek tax advice from external advisors as needed or required on various tax matters; for example, in connection with a new regulation in a jurisdiction in which we do business.

We seek to comply with all relevant laws, including OECD transfer pricing standards.

Level of Acceptable UK Tax Risk

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited seeks to reduce the level of tax risk arising from its operations as is reasonably practical.

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited does have not a prescriptive or predefined limit to the amount of acceptable tax risk. The level of acceptable tax risk is assessed on a case by case basis within our governance framework described above.

How We Work with HMRC

Columbia Sportswear Company Limited is committed to:
  • promoting a professional, collaborative, open, honest and transparent relationship with HMRC;
  • discussing business activities and transactions with significant tax implications with HMRC in a timely fashion;
  • engaging in timely dialogue with HMRC to respond to queries and information requests to ensure that HMRC is aware of how issues are progressing;
  • working proactively with HMRC to resolve all tax disputes; and
  • making appropriate disclosures in tax returns, reports and correspondence submitted to HMRC.