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.
Autumn Statement 2023: IFS analysis Event 23 November 2023 at 10:30 via Slido and YouTube IFS researchers presented their analysis of the Chancellor's announcements the day after the Autumn Statement.
Autumn Statement 2023: IFS analysis Presentation IFS researchers presented their analysis of the Chancellor's announcements the day after the Autumn Statement. 23 November 2023
Autumn Statement 2023 response Comment Higher inflation has boosted tax revenues. Rather than compensate public services, or bank the spoils, the Chancellor decided to cut taxes. 22 November 2023
Cutting inheritance tax isn’t quite as simple as its proponents suggest Comment "There are dozens of tax cuts that would be some combination of more equitable and better designed to promote economic efficiency and growth." 20 November 2023
Cake or biscuit? The UK's byzantine VAT system explained Podcast This week, we dive into the oddities of the VAT system. 16 November 2023
Revaluation and reform of Welsh council tax should proceed without delay Comment We analyse the impact of the possible approaches to council tax reform set out in the Welsh Government’s consultation on ‘A fairer council tax’. 14 November 2023
Assessing the Welsh Government’s consultation on reforms to council tax Report We analyse the impact of the possible approaches to council tax reform set out in the Welsh Government’s consultation on ‘A fairer council tax’. 14 November 2023
Should the government levy VAT on private school fees? Explainer Labour 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
Taxes could be cut within broader reforms Comment "The Chancellor doesn’t need to wait for fiscal headroom to reform public finances" says Helen Miller in The Telegraph. 2 November 2023
Insurance, redistribution, and the inequality of lifetime income Working Paper This paper studies how the tax-and-transfer system mitigates income inequalities over the lifetime, which can lead to disparities in living standards. 2 November 2023
Now is not the time for tax cuts Explainer In 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
Green Budget 2023 Report The Chancellor is in a fiscal bind as low growth and high debt interest payments limit any room for manoeuvre in the forthcoming Autumn Statement. 17 October 2023
Outlook for the public finances Report In the current environment of high inflation and rising interest rates, tax cuts at the upcoming Budget would be extremely difficult to justify. 17 October 2023
Inheritance tax raises £7bn a year. It needs reform. Explainer We lay out issues with the inheritance tax system and examine options for reform. 10 October 2023
Labour Party Conference: Tax and public finance challenges facing Britain Event 9 October 2023 at 14:30 Liverpool (Inside secure zone) This IFS/CIOT event at the Labour Party Conference featured James Murray MP, Shadow Financial Secretary.
Full expensing and the corporation tax base Report This report discusses the temporary full-expensing policy and whether it should be made a permanent part of the corporate tax base. 6 October 2023
‘Only millionaires should fear inheritance tax – not the property-owning middle class’ Comment "As inherited wealth grows, the need for tax reform is becoming more pressing." Carl Emmerson writes in The Telegraph. 4 October 2023
Conservative Party Conference: Tax and public finance challenges facing Britain Event 2 October 2023 at 10:00 Manchester (Outside secure zone) The IFS/CIOT debate at the Conservative Party Conference looked at the tax and public finance challenges facing Britain.
What is the point of inheritance tax? Comment David Sturrock and Arun Advani write for the New Statesman on inheritance tax, social mobility and tax revenues. 29 September 2023
This will be the biggest tax-raising parliament on record Comment This has been the biggest tax-raising parliament since records began, pushing UK tax revenues to historically high levels. 29 September 2023