About ENTRUST
ENTRUST is the regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) and does not allocate or have influence over the distribution of landfill tax monies. The LCF operates with a Landfill Operator (e.g. Viridor) passing the tax forgone element of its landfill tax liability to Environmental Bodies (EBs) who are then obligated to spend the monies on one or more of the 'approved objects' appearing in the Landfill Tax Regulations 1996 and subsequent amendments (Regulations).
Both the EBs' activities and the works they undertake through delivering an approved object (via a project) is regulated and overseen by ENTRUST. ENTRUST has adopted the approach of a pro-active regulator with a 'risk based' approach to both the operations of the 2700+ EBs it regulates and the projects delivered.
ENTRUST also oversees all the work the EBs wish to undertake by reviewing the project work in advance of it taking place or any monies being spent. Over 22,000 projects have been submitted to ENTRUST for review and registration since the inception of the Scheme in 1996.
ENTRUST does this through apportioning risk to projects in advance and advising and guiding applicants to a point where the intent of the project is clearly to deliver an approved object.
It is the role of the EBs to ensure that landfill tax credit monies are spent in accordance with the landfill tax regulations. It is the role of ENTRUST to audit and verify the compliance of this activity.
EBs are issued with guidance on both the allocation and protection of funds. Failure to do this may result in action from ENTRUST, which could be revocation (forcible expulsion) from the LCF, an issue of disrepute being presented to HM Revenue & Customs or guidance and help being offered to the EBs.
The safeguards to ensure that landfill tax monies are applied and spent in accordance with the Regulations is through the management and control of funds by the EBs. It is ENTRUST's role to regulate these EBs.