Economy

The government should scrap tax bands to revolutionise income taxes in the UK

Income taxes are never far from the centre of the UK’s national debate. This time last year, the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, was preparing seemingly dry reforms to national insurance contributions...

07/03/2018

Blog post Expert comment Economy Commission on Economic Justice

How much would it cost to reduce child poverty in Scotland? The financial scale of child poverty in Scotland

In 2017, the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed legislation to introduce statutory targets in order to reduce child poverty and create a new Poverty and Inequality Commission in Scotland. By...

05/03/2018

Publication Report Economy Families Young people IPPR Scotland

Tapering over the tax: Reforming taxation of income in the UK

This policy paper sets out a mechanism for improving the progressivity, efficiency and revenue raising potential of income taxes in the UK. It proposes a major reform of the current system, with two...

05/03/2018

Publication Briefing Economy Commission on Economic Justice IPPR

An anti-poverty Scotland budget - Are income tax cuts on lower earnings progressive?

Summary: Income tax increases proposed in Scotland necessary and welcome Income tax cuts on lower earnings not a good way of helping the poorest households or reducing poverty...

31/01/2018

Blog post Long read Budget IPPR Scotland Economy

Tax us if you can: Why Philip Hammond’s ‘crackdown’ falls short of the mark

Last week the Chancellor announced a ‘crackdown’ on companies that don’t pay tax in the UK. From April 2019, companies will have to pay a withholding tax on royalty payments they make to their...

01/12/2017

Blog post Long read Economy

The perils of distributional analysis: Was Labour’s manifesto really regressive?

Think tankers, for example at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Resolution Foundation and IPPR, often like to use ‘distributional analysis’ to assess the impacts of policy on households, and...

25/07/2017

Blog post Expert comment Economy Commission on Economic Justice

Higher tax for those earning more than £70,000, what are the facts?

It’s been a little over two days since the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced a snap general election. But already the parties have begun to set out their stalls for the coming debate. In a...

21/04/2017

Blog post Economy Expert comment

Autumn Statement – Higher rate giveaway is the wrong priority

In a brief mention in today’s Autumn Statement the Chancellor confirmed the increase in the personal tax allowance to £12,500 and the threshold for the higher rate to £50,000 by the end of the...

23/11/2016

Blog post Economy Expert comment Budget

The government must change its business rate reform plans to incentivise growth in every area

The government’s plans to hand over 100 per cent of business rates revenue to local authorities (LAs) currently risks failing on its objective to grow local economies. Richer LAs will receive...

29/07/2016

Blog post Expert comment Economy

Better rates: How to ensure the new business rates regime promotes growth everywhere

This report sets out our analysis of the new 100-per-cent retained business rates scheme, based on the government's statements to date, and our recommendations for an alternative system that more...

19/06/2016

Publication Economy Business Report