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
Social mobility and wealth Conference 12 December 2023 at 10:30 Church House Conference Centre, London, SW1P 3NZ At this in-person event, IFS researchers will share findings from ESRC-funded research on social mobility and its drivers.
Help onto the housing ladder: the role of intergenerational transfers Report We examine financial help from family to first-time buyers, quantifying this help and studying its role in homeownership and wealth inequalities. 8 December 2023
Why we need to reform inheritance tax Podcast We discuss the issues with inheritance tax and how to reform it. 6 December 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
Halving inheritance tax would give away an average of £180,000 to the top 5% of estates at death Comment It is rumoured the Chancellor will halve inheritance tax in next week’s Autumn Statement. Four-fifths of the cut would go to estates worth over £1m. 18 November 2023
School and neighbourhood segregation in Scotland and England Report We document the patterns of neighbourhood and secondary school segregation across England and Scotland 10 October 2023
Schools and segregation: a comparison of Scotland and England Comment We study how the different ways pupils are assigned to schools in England and Scotland relate to income segregation in schools and neighbourhoods. 10 October 2023
Intergenerational transfers, insurance and the transmission of inequality Presentation This two day academic conference was held in London on 5th and 6th October 2023, and featured 13 presentations across a range of topics. 5 October 2023
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
Reforming inheritance tax Report We set out issues with the inheritance tax system and examine options for reform and the distributional impacts of reforming or abolishing the tax. 27 September 2023
Social skills and the individual wage growth of less educated workers Working Paper We highlight the importance of social skills as a driver for wage growth for UK workers few educational qualifications. 19 September 2023
Intergenerational mobility in the UK Report Your parents’ income and wealth is of ever-growing importance in determining your own position in the lifetime income distribution. 7 September 2023
Abolishing inheritance tax would leave the country a terrible legacy Comment "I despair." Paul Johnson writes for the Times on the recent debate around abolishing inheritance tax. 17 July 2023
The heterogeneous effects of social assistance and unemployment insurance: evidence from a life-cycle model of family labor supply and savings Working Paper We empirically analyze the heterogeneous welfare effects of unemployment insurance and social assistance. 5 June 2023
First generation elite: the role of school networks Working Paper This paper shows differences in social capital are a key driver of the high intergenerational persistence in elite education. 5 May 2023
What drives the timing of inter-vivos transfers? Working Paper We analyse the relationships between giving and receiving significant wealth transfers and experiencing key life events. 13 February 2023
Who gives wealth transfers to whom and when? Patterns in the giving and receiving of lifetime gifts and loans Report We examine the patterns in the giving and receiving of significant wealth transfers during life, and the association of transfers with life events. 13 February 2023
Can higher education policy boost intergenerational mobility? Evidence from an empirical matching model Working Paper We use rich administrative data to estimate a novel two-sided matching model of sorting into field and institution within higher education. 26 January 2023
Inequality and immigration Report This chapter investigates the relationship between immigration and inequality in the UK over the past 40 years. 14 November 2022
Income and wealth inequality explained in 5 charts Explainer We document how economic inequalities have changed over the last sixty years, and how experiences have varied for different groups. 9 November 2022