The £600 billion problem awaiting the next government podcastWe speak to David Gauke and Giles Wilkes, two experts who have been at the heart of the spending review process.25 April 2024
Be the Chancellor Our interactive tool lets you be the Chancellor. Change spending plans, set tax policies and see how your choices impact borrowing and debt.
Should we worry about government debt? podcastDavid Miles joins us to discuss high government debt and its impact on the economy. 11 April 2024
IFS Annual Lecture - Innovation and productivity policies: a budgetary perspective event 15 May 2024 Professor Heidi Williams (Dartmouth College) will deliver the 2024 IFS Annual Lecture on innovation and productivity policies.
Higher Education Access and Funding: challenges and policy options conference 14 May 2024 This one-day academic conference will look at access to and funding of Higher Education systems.
Jobs landing pageAt IFS, we recruit and train top-quality economists and professional support staff. We aim to foster a respectful and inclusive working environment.20 July 2022
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy The Research Centre at the heart of IFS is the CPP.
Public investment: what you need to know ExplainerEverything you wanted to know about UK public investment but were too afraid to ask – including analysis of Labour and Conservative plans.25 April 2024
The Spring Budget 2024 explained in 90 seconds ExplainerIFS Director Paul Johnson gives an initial response to Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget.6 March 2024
The way Chancellors respond to economic news adds to our debt - here's why ExplainerChancellors don’t respond symmetrically to good and bad economic news. The result is higher debt. 1 March 2024
How tight public finances will shape the 2024 election ExplainerBen Zaranko explains how the next general election will be shaped by the fiscal challenges facing the political parties.13 February 2024
The changes to Labour's green investment plan explained ExplainerBen Zaranko explains Labour's latest announcement that it will no longer seek to spend £28 billion per year on green investment.9 February 2024
Should we abolish the triple lock? ExplainerPaul Johnson talks us through the triple lock and whether it is still a useful policy tool. 18 December 2023
How important is the Bank of Mum and Dad? ExplainerPaul Johnson talks us through patterns of financial help for first-time buyers. 15 December 2023
The Autumn Statement 2023 explained in 90 seconds ExplainerPaul Johnson responds to Jeremy Hunt's 2023 Autumn Statement. 22 November 2023
The changes to the UK's net zero pathway explained ExplainerWhat are the changes announced by the Prime Minister and what will their impacts be?10 November 2023
Should the government levy VAT on private school fees? ExplainerLabour have proposed levying VAT at the main rate of 20% on private school fees. Paul Johnson lays out the facts in 90 seconds.9 November 2023
Now is not the time for tax cuts ExplainerIn the current environment of high inflation and rising interest rates, tax cuts at the upcoming Budget would be extremely difficult to justify.18 October 2023
Inheritance tax raises £7bn a year. It needs reform. ExplainerWe lay out issues with the inheritance tax system and examine options for reform.10 October 2023
This will be the biggest tax-raising parliament on record ExplainerThis has been the biggest tax-raising parliament since records began, pushing UK tax revenues to historically high levels.29 September 2023
Student loans in England explained and options for reform ExplainerHow does the student loan system currently work in England, what will change for new students in 2023, and what are some of the options for reform?20 July 2023
The housing crisis for low-income private renters explained ExplainerTom Waters explains how the freezes in housing benefit are affecting low-income renters.29 June 2023
The impact of rising mortgages explained ExplainerOn Thursday, the Bank of England will decide whether to increase the base rate once again. How will this impact households' finances?21 June 2023
Should we abolish inheritance tax? ExplainerRecently there have been calls to abolish inheritance tax. Paul Johnson takes us through the facts in 90 seconds.7 June 2023
How progressive is the UK’s £1 trillion in government spending? ExplainerPaul Johnson explains how redistributive UK public spending is in 90 seconds.6 June 2023
What do we know about the impact of working from home on productivity? ExplainerWhat evidence do we have on the success from working from home?22 May 2023
Why are more and more people paying the higher rate of tax? ExplainerIn recent decades, the amount of adults paying the higher rate of tax has increased enormously. In this explainer, we explain the reasons why.17 May 2023