Why we need to reform inheritance tax podcastWe discuss the issues with inheritance tax and how to reform it.6 December 2023
The Autumn Statement 2023 explained in 90 seconds explainerPaul Johnson responds to Jeremy Hunt's 2023 Autumn Statement. 22 November 2023
Cake or biscuit? The UK's byzantine VAT system explained podcastThis week, we dive into the oddities of the VAT system.16 November 2023
Education spending: an engine for levelling-up? event 11 December 2023 The launch of the 2023 IFS Annual Report on Education Spending in England, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
Social mobility and wealth conference 12 December 2023 At this in-person event, IFS researchers will share findings from ESRC-funded research on social mobility and its drivers.
Where next for the state pension? event 13 December 2023 At this online event, IFS researchers will present findings from a major new report on the future of the state pension in the UK.
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy landing pageThe ESRC has funded a research centre at IFS since 1991, recognised as a global centre of excellence and now with UKRI Research Institute status.15 July 2022
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
Schools serving disadvantaged children have faced the biggest funding cuts Press ReleaseOur annual education spending report finds that rising costs are placing increasing pressure on all areas of education.11 December 2023
Around half of first-time buyers in their 20s receive financial help to buy their home, with large consequences for their subsequent wealth accumulation Press ReleaseWe examine the patterns of financial help for first-time home buyers.8 December 2023
Statement on Alistair Darling's passing AnnouncementPaul Johnson reflects on the death of our Pensions Review Chair Alistair Darling 4 December 2023
IFS co-organises Paris-London Public Economics Conference 2023 AnnouncementThis year's Paris-London Conference in public economics takes place on 7th and 8th December 2023. Register to attend before 30th November 2023.24 November 2023
Imran Rasul elected as EEA Vice-President AnnouncementCPP Director and UCL Professor Imran Rasul is the new Vice-President (President-Elect in 2025 & President in 2026) of the EEA.21 November 2023
Housing costs take up three-and-a-half times as much of the budgets of the poor as of the rich, with significant implications for their standard of living Press Release"It is not possible to understand income poverty or inequality without taking account of housing costs."17 November 2023
Declining education performance in Scotland, particularly in maths and science Press ReleaseThe performance of Scottish pupils in international PISA tests has declined over time in maths and science. 16 November 2023
Increasing concentration of high-skilled jobs in London means graduates elsewhere cannot fully capitalise on their education Press ReleaseThe current economic geography of the UK limits both social mobility and the effective use of talent across the country.13 November 2023
Early retirement increasingly concentrated amongst the wealthy Press ReleaseWe provide new evidence on retirement patterns in the UK.1 November 2023
Incapacity benefits changes strengthen work incentives for over a million, but hundreds of thousands left worse off Press Release520,000 individuals would see their benefit entitlements fall under the reform, typically by £390 per month.26 October 2023
Professor Imran Rasul to lead IFS new research project AnnouncementProfessor Imran Rasul, CPP Director, will lead an IFS project on economic opportunities across racial and ethnic groups in the United Kingdom.25 October 2023
No room for unfunded tax cuts or spending increases – this year or next Press ReleaseWe are in a horrible fiscal bind as low growth and high debt interest payments mean no room for manoeuvre.17 October 2023
Adult skills spending down by a third since early 2000s – but it’s about much more than funding levels Press Release"Any future reforms must be weighed against the risk of adding to the policy instability and inconsistency which have plagued the sector."12 October 2023
IFS contributor Claudia Goldin wins Nobel Prize in economics AnnouncementCommittee cites her work on generations of women in the labour market. 9 October 2023
We should not focus on public sector net worth as a fiscal target Press ReleaseWe consider the case for and against a fiscal target for public sector net worth.7 October 2023
Long-term costs of full expensing much lower than official estimates suggest Press ReleaseA new report discusses the temporary full-expensing policy and whether it should be made a permanent part of the corporate tax base.6 October 2023
Chancellors’ asymmetric responses to good and bad news since 2010 resulted in more debt and a bigger state Press ReleaseSince 2010, Chancellors have not responded symmetrically to good and bad economic news.28 September 2023
Wealthiest 1% would get half the benefit of scrapping inheritance tax, with an average tax cut of £1 million Press ReleaseIf non-spousal inheritances passed on next year were to be equally shared between all 25-year-olds, each would receive around £120,000.27 September 2023
New childcare entitlements have little to offer the poorest families Press Release"These new entitlements are another big step towards an early years system focused on helping parents to work."26 September 2023
Parents, especially poorer ones, overlook value added when applying to secondary schools Press ReleaseParents commonly do not apply to the most effective secondary school in their local area, this is especially true for parents living in poorer areas.19 September 2023
