Insights from behavioural economics – which uses ideas from psychology to develop the standard model of rational, self-interested economic agents – have become increasingly influential amongst policy makers in recent years. IFS researchers drew together the theoretical and empirical literature on some of these insights to understand their possible implications for tax and benefit policy, publishing a research report targeted at a policy audience. The report highlights that behavioural economics is potentially important not just in thinking about how people may be ‘nudged’, but also for more traditional policy levers such as taxation. The findings were presented to an audience of more than 80 civil servants from across departments at an event held at HMRC in July 2012.