Should the UK have a wealth tax? The Wealth Tax Commission five years on

Join us at this event to explore how the wealth tax conversation has evolved and whether the UK should be looking to implement a wealth tax today.

In 2020, the Wealth Tax Commission brought together world-leading academics, policymakers and tax practitioners to ‘think big’ about tax policy. Published in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the public finance crisis it triggered, the Commission examined the viability of both annual and one-off wealth taxes. Comprising over thirty papers and half a million words, it remains the most comprehensive body of evidence on wealth taxation globally.

Five years on, the question of how governments can meet increasing public service demand, while confronting escalating geopolitical and environmental challenges, is more urgent than ever. At this event, the Commission’s authors reunite to reflect on its influence on research, policy making and public debate, and share what they learned from the process and the viability of a wealth tax in the UK today.

Meet our speakers and chair

Arun Advani (@arunadvaniecon) is Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) and a Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. Working with colleagues at CenTax, Arun uses tax data accessed via HMRC to evaluate the tax system and model options for reform. Recent publications have provided evidence on potential reforms to the non-dom tax regime, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax, and National Insurance Contributions on partnership income.

Emma Chamberlain specialises in tax and trust advice for private clients, trusts and charities. Her practice is focused particularly on IHT and CGT as well as advising foreign domiciliaries and trustees. She frequently advises on taxation issues in connection with divorce and family issues, on BPR and APR and on residence, remittance and domicile enquiries. She is a Visiting Professor of Law at Oxford University and also at the LSE and teaches a postgraduate Taxation of Global Wealth course with Dr Arun Advani in Oxford.

Andy Summers (@Summers_AD) is Director of the Centre for Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) and an associate professor in the Law School at LSE. His research combines legal expertise with quantitative analysis of administrative data, working in collaboration with economists and other social scientists. Recent work focuses on the evaluation of taxes affecting top earners and the wealthy, and the design of asset registers. At LSE he teaches courses on tax policy and design and the taxation of wealth.

Tim Besley is School Professor of Economics and Political Science and W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics in the Department of Economics at LSE. He is also a member of the National Infrastructure Commission. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and British Academy and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Economic Association and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His main research interests are in political economy and development.

More about this event

LSE Law School (@LSELaw) is one of the world's top law schools with an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and legal research.

The Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) is dedicated to improving public understanding of tax policy and helping to design a better tax system, by generating evidence that is rigorous and relevant to policymakers and the public.

The International Inequalities Institute (@LSEInequalities) brings together experts from many LSE departments and centres to lead critical and cutting edge research to understand why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world, and to develop critical tools to address these challenges.

Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents

Featured image (used in source code with watermark added): Photo by Logan Voss via Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/stacks-of-hundred-dollar-bills-are-shown-DyYbAk1LFEs

Any questions?

If you have a query see our Events FAQ or take a look at the information below.

You can also contact us at events@lse.ac.uk.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.