 Facts and figures about UK taxes, benefits and public spending.
Analysing government fiscal forecasts and tax and spending.
Find out where you are in the income distribution.
ESRC Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy.
Reforming the tax system for the 21st century.
A peer-reviewed quarterly journal publishing articles by academics and practitioners.
Resources for schools and students.
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The Chancellor's tax and spending plans are constrained by two self-imposed fiscal rules: the golden rule and the sustainable investment rule. IFS analysis of the public finances monitors the government's performance with reference to the Treasury's fiscal rules.
Work in this area also looks at forecasts of revenue and spending and aims to inform public debate around the Budget, the Pre-Budget Report and the Spending Review. Part of this dissemination involves writing articles for a variety of non-technical publications, such as Public Finance Magazine. A full listing of news articles authored by IFS staff can be found in our press section. IFS staff carry out monthly analysis of the public finance numbers: these are distributed as press notices and can also be found in our press section. See our Budgets section for more details about Budget and related analyses. Search
In his 2008 Conservative party conference speech, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne announced that an incoming Conservative government would freeze Council Tax in England for two years. Over the past month, the parties have been disputing how much it would cost, if it were to be implemented in 2011-12 and 2012-13. IFS researchers have re-analysed this policy and find that putting a number on how much it costs is not simple, and this observation explains why.
IFS researchers assess the rationale for a pupil premium and offer an empirical analysis of how such a scheme might operate in practice and affect school finances.
IFS researchers assess the rationale for a pupil premium and offer an empirical analysis of how such a scheme might operate in practice and affect school finances.
"Whoever wins the election, Labour or Conservative, is going to have to cut spending. That is not something that Margaret Thatcher actually did. So tougher than Margaret Thatcher." So said George Osborne on the Today Programme this morning - and the numbers by and large bear him out.
To fill the fiscal hole, the next government will have to slash some budgets by as much as 25%, cut benefits or raise taxes.
Whoever forms the next Government should put in place a fiscal tightening more ambitious over the next Parliament than that set out in the PBR, but without putting the recovery at undue risk with significant extra tax increases or public spending cuts in the coming year.
Browse publications & research
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 Started: 01 December 2009
Started: 18 November 2009
Started: 09 November 2009
Started: 01 April 2006
Started: 17 December 2004
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 The IFS hosts an ESRC research centre. |
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