Government finances and spending

An image of a factory releasing smoke into the atmosphere

CIOT/IFS debate: Carbon border adjustment – what approach should the UK take?

Presentation

The government is consulting on how to prevent UK taxes on greenhouse gas emissions simply leading to emissions-generating activities moving abroad.

24 May 2023

As the state gets bigger, taxes will rise. It’s time to be honest about that

Comment

Winston Churchill, a man of famously expensive habits, believed that income should always be adjusted to meet expenses, and never the other way around

28 April 2023

Why politicians need to think long-term about pensions

Podcast

We talk through the challenges facing the UK pensions system and future generations of pensioners.

26 April 2023

How does school spending per pupil differ across the UK?

Report

This short report compares the level of school spending per pupil across the four nations of the UK.

21 April 2023

A reduced discount rate for public sector pensions will add billions to employer costs

Comment

A reduction in the UK’s long-term growth prospects means that public service pension promises will be costlier to meet in future.

6 April 2023

The stealth tax rise

Podcast

We look at the impact that freezing tax thresholds has on the tax people pay.

6 April 2023

Lower oil and gas prices set to hit Scotland’s underlying public finances

Comment

Scotland’s underlying fiscal position is set to improve by much less than expected last year, as oil and gas prices fall back.

3 April 2023

What has happened to college teacher pay in England?

Report

This report examines how pay and retention levels among college teachers in England have changed over time and compared with school teachers.

30 March 2023

The Spring Budget explained

Podcast

We provide our analysis on the Chancellor's Spring Budget.

16 March 2023

Spring Budget 2023

Collection

Our analysis on the choices facing the Chancellor leading up, during and after the 2023 Spring Budget.

15 March 2023

Spring Budget 2023 response

Comment

An initial response to the Spring Budget 2023 from IFS researchers

15 March 2023

At last, we are back to a normal budget, but don’t expect many treats

Comment

"A stagnant economy leaves little room for either more spending or less tax." Paul Johnson writes for the Times ahead of Wednesday's Spring Budget.

13 March 2023

Freeports and Investment Zones – what sorts of things should we consider when assessing whether they are good policy?

Comment

We discuss the economic issues central to whether Freeports and Investment Zones are a good idea.

10 March 2023

Freeports: What are they? What do we know? And what will we know?

Report

This report analyses the rationale for Freeports and what we can learn about their potential impact from past policies and a planned evaluation.

10 March 2023

Are high energy prices here to stay?

Podcast

As we leave winter and enter spring, we ask whether high energy prices are here to stay

8 March 2023

The fiscal backdrop to Spring Budget 2023

Comment

How might recent economic developments affect the outlook for the public finances, and what does this mean for the Chancellor’s options at the Budget?

28 February 2023