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<p><p>This paper looks at the major changes in tax policy in the UK and around the world in the past 25 years and the forces that have shaped these, identifying the international trends and common elements and asking why they have emerged and what lessons can be learned for tax policy generally and for the UK in particular. </p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p></p> </p><p><em class="bold">PLEASE NOTE</em>: this paper represents draft work in progress. Factual accuracy is not guaranteed, and opinions may not be the fully-formed views of authors. They are posted here to stimulate discussion, and should not be quoted or cited without the authors' permission.</p>
Authors

Research Fellow University College London
Ian is a Research Fellow of the IFS and a Professor of Economics at UCL. He joined UCL in 1991 and has been attached to the IFS since 1990.

Research Fellow
Luke is a Research Fellow at the IFS and his general research interests include education policy, political economy and poverty and inequality.

Harvard University
Report details
- DOI
- 10.1920/re.ifs.2024.0799
- Publisher
- IFS
Suggested citation
J, Alt and I, Preston and L, Sibieta. (2007). The political economy of tax policy. London: IFS. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/political-economy-tax-policy (accessed: 24 June 2025).
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