Conference on Taxing Personal Income and Wealth in Developing Countries

Together with the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Skatteforsk), Columbia University, OTPR - Office of Tax Policy Research and University of Michigan Ross School of Business, the IFS TaxDev programme is organizing a conference on taxing personal income and wealth in developing countries. It will be held online on Thursday 24th September and Friday 25th September.

This conference will bring together leading researchers and policymakers to discuss recent research on taxing personal income and wealth with relevance for developing countries. The keynote address will be delivered by Wojciech Kopczuk, Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Individual income taxes are a major source of government revenue in high-income countries, and the primary tool for redistribution via the tax system. In lower-income countries, however, taxing individual income and wealth can be challenging. Many individuals in the lower part of the income distribution operate outside of the formal sector, while those in the upper part of the distribution often have diverse sources of non-wage income that can be de jure or de facto untaxed. These challenges can lead to a critical shortfall in government revenue, hampering the state’s ability to fund essential development programs and reduce inequalities.

For more information about the conference and to register visit the World Bank website.