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.
Spring Budget 2024: What you need to know Podcast IFS reaction to the Chancellor's Spring Budget. 7 March 2024
Spring Budget 2024: initial IFS response Comment We’ve learned to expect some degree of smoke and mirrors in the Budget. Today was no different. 6 March 2024
How to fix our irrational income tax system Podcast How are income taxes structured, how has this changed, where are there problems with the system and what should the next government be looking to fix? 25 January 2024
The Autumn Statement explained Podcast We analyse the Chancellor's 2023 Autumn Statement. 24 November 2023
2p cut is welcome but fiscal risks are serious Comment "Whoever is chancellor after the next election, is going to have to face up to some hard truths," Paul Johnson in The Times. 23 November 2023
How are private pensions taxed? Explainer Private pensions form a key part of retirement saving. We explore how they are taxed. 3 April 2023
Freeports: What are they? What do we know? And what will we know? Report This report analyses the rationale for Freeports and what we can learn about their potential impact from past policies and a planned evaluation. 10 March 2023
Freeports and Investment Zones – what sorts of things should we consider when assessing whether they are good policy? Comment We discuss the economic issues central to whether Freeports and Investment Zones are a good idea. 10 March 2023
A blueprint for a better tax treatment of pensions Report How should pensions be taxed? We propose income tax and National Insurance reforms that would more evenly support pension saving. 6 February 2023
Kwasi Kwarteng homes in on the right problems, but solutions don’t add up Comment Paul Johnson writes in The Times on the impact of Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-Budget policies. 26 September 2022
Paul Johnson responds to Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-Budget Comment Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget is a short-term sugar rush and a huge switch in direction. 24 September 2022
Mini-Budget response Comment The Chancellor announced the biggest package of tax cuts in 50 years without even a semblance of an effort to make the public finance numbers add up. 23 September 2022
Reversing NICs and corporation tax rises would leave debt on an unsustainable path Report In the absence of official scrutiny from the OBR, we set out how much red ink might be added to the fiscal forecasts. 21 September 2022
Business rates: reform, reduce or replace? Presentation This presentation was given at an LSE Taxation Seminar. 20 June 2022
Three things to know about National Insurance contributions and the upcoming changes Explainer This observation summarises some of the key facts about how NICs works and who will be paying more in NICs from April 6th 2022. 5 April 2022
High inflation threatens to raise nightmare scenario for pensioners Comment Director Paul Johnson on the effects of inflation on pension policy in The Times. 28 March 2022
Who does and doesn't pay taxes? Journal article We use administrative tax data from audits of self-assessment tax returns to understand what types individuals are most likely to be non-compliant. 22 March 2022
Helping the poor is easy, chancellor, everyone else may just have to suffer Comment Paul Johnson considers what HM Treasury civil servants might be advising Rishi Sunak in response to the cost-of-living crisis. 31 January 2022
Why tax corporate income? (And what can go wrong when we do?) Presentation As part of this year’s Festival of Social Science, IFS delivered a public economic talk on "The economics of higher education" aimed at final year undergraduates studying economics. 29 November 2021
Fiscal Studies Special Issue on a Wealth Tax: Time for Another Look? Journal issue Fiscal Studies Special Issue on a Wealth Tax: Time for Another Look? 25 October 2021