Big congratulation to my former @ids.ac.uk colleague @apvjustino.bsky.social for her appointment as the next Director of @unu-wider.bsky.social This is great news, I look forward to working together in the new capacity!

The government's anti-immigration stance will make it harder to tackle challenges at home + abroad says @petertaylor-uk.bsky.social https://researchprofessionalnews.pulse.ly/1zv7yr07qd @resprofnews.bsky.social

Fragile contexts are home to 24% of the world’s population (1.9 billion people) and 73% of the world’s extreme poor. Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H #FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates

With aid declining, FfD4 must include a concrete commitment to scale up investment in tax systems. Reaching one billion USD in aid for tax by 2030 is a credible commitment and a great investment in sustainable development. Read more here:

With the words with which Sandro Pertini, seventh President of the Italian Republic, proclaimed the general strike from Radio Milano Libera, we wish you all a happy 80th anniversary of the #Liberation from Nazi-Fascism and sundry 🌹

We are delighted to announce that Max Gallien has been named as the recipient of the 2025 APSA-IPSA Theodore J. Lowi First Book Award for his first book titled SMUGGLERS AND STATES. buff.ly/4G316B6 @maxgallien.bsky.social @ipsa.org @apsa.bsky.social

Yes, the US Administration’s illegal obliteration of our Congressionally-mandated aid agency has killed countless people. Now you know the name of one.

Resistance with slides: when presenting scientific evidence created by federal data and/or $ tell your audience what they won’t be seeing more of Slides templates here https://sites.google.com/view/tobeclear/

Spent the last two days in deep conversation about tax and conflict with this brilliant group in Helsinki, @unu-wider.bsky.social. More on our meeting and work here! www.wider.unu.edu/event/tax-co...

A very old Soviet joke, from an especially dark time: Foxes are fleeing the USSR in droves. Q: Why are you running away? Fox: The Soviets passed a new law that they’re going to arrest all camels. Q: But you’re foxes! Fox: Yeah, why don’t *you* try proving to the NKVD that you’re not a camel.

It’s time for a broader, bolder feminist fiscal agenda, argue Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social. 🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction. READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp #IWD2025 @brookings.edu

I accidentally sent out my LaTeX preamble to my group chat.

Reminder that in recent history, a 10% drop in tax revenue, anywhere in the developed world, has basically only happened during the global financial crisis

Faced with some of the worse #debt levels in over a decade, #African countries will likely need to increase their revenue sources to balance the books. What about starting by looking at #tax contributions from #wealthycitizens? theconversation.com/wealthy-afri...

Welcome! Delighted you’re here 👏👏

If econ memes had a Nobel Prize, @khoavuumn.bsky.social would have won it by popular acclaim. He's beloved in our community of online economists for his kindness and wit. Definite follow.

“Do not save your influence for a better opportunity. It’s not going to come.”

Can taxpayer education improve compliance? Evidence from Rwanda shows that training new taxpayers significantly increases filing, reduces zero-tax reporting, and boosts tax due. Effects persist over time, driven by lower compliance costs and better tax knowledge.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

To go along with our piece today, we published an extensive list of folks associated with DOGE. It builds off and adds to the strong work that Wired, WaPo, ProPublica and other pubs have been doing. The public has a right to know who is dismantling the government. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Our letter to the Prime Minister expressing deep concern regarding his decision to cut ODA. This will have a direct and devastating impact on the lives of millions. The aid budget is an important instrument for long-term stability and economic partnership. We hope the government will reconsider.

The person who illegally eviscerated USAID, to whom some observers attribute capacity and competence, has repeatedly shown his lack of minimal capacity to distinguish fact from fabrication.

Utterly disgraceful youtube.com/watch?v=uqOO...

Starmer’s govt promised to restore the aid budget to 0.7%. Now it’s been slashed to 0.3% ostensibly due defense. Increasing wealth tax could open up funds for aid & public spending. But they’d rather follow Trump & increase vulnerabilities of the poor. #UKAID www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Keir Starmer on 2021 aid cuts:

@petertaylor-uk.bsky.social IDS Director on UK's aid cut: "This reduction in aid of billions of pounds in real terms is a disappointing and short-sighted move from the Labour Government. Increasing spending on defence should not come at the expense of development." www.ids.ac.uk/press-releas...

📖 🚣 📖 Two more book talks coming up: If you're at Oxford or Cambridge in March, I'll be popping over to chat about "Smugglers and States - Negotiating the Maghreb at its Margins"! 🗓️ OX: 4 March, 17:00 (St Antony's / MEC) 🗓️ CAM: 13 March, 15:00 (CDS SG1/2) Details below:

You can find several sociological breakthrough in top journals like American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, and Review of Economic Studies.

The Inter-American Development Bank is forming a poverty group, with multiple staff positions. Lead Specialist jobs.iadb.org/job/Economic... Specialist jobs.iadb.org/job/Economic... Great opportunity to help shape the organization's operational & analytical work around poverty reduction.

Institutions are not self-executing. Enough people must be willing to do the right thing by the rules.

Are you in New York for the 3rd #FfD4 PrepCom meeting? We have some resources for you! here’s an @ictdtax.bsky.social page with more insights on: ✅ informality ✅ subnational and property tax ✅ taxing the wealthy we will keep posting insights here: www.ictd.ac/theme/financ...

AI isn’t just about innovation—it’s about power. At PD, we believe AI should be designed and governed in the public interest, for the common good. That means focusing on outcomes, not just technology; making decisions transparent; and ensuring AI enhances, rather than undermines, human capability.

Our new policy brief is out! There’s reason for optimism: tax administrations willing to improve tax equity can act NOW, with existing taxes and laws. The solution? Taxing higher income individuals more effectively. It increases revenue AND improves equity.

📣 I have been asked to host an AMA for JPAL on Feb 11 📣 On International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Spread the word, if of interest. Details: sites.google.com/povertyactio...

Among all the madness of the past few days, it is hard to say what is most concerning. This is certainly a good candidate: weakening institutions and declining trust. Daren Acemoglu describes that prospect, from 2050. on.ft.com/3CQUkon The real threat to American prosperity

This is royally stupid. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

At @odi.global we've been stunned by the brutality of USAID's shutdown. Our thoughts are w/ staff & people who will be gravely impacted globally. This attack reflects a trend of dwindling multilateral engagement. Decisive, collection is needed now to rebuild a future that serves everyone. My 2¢ 👇

Pleased to be joining the BlueSky community today. We'll start by sharing this great new video featuring international #tax expert, Frederik Heitmüller, sharing his reflections on the #UNTaxConvention ahead of next week's negotiations in New York. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Sr...

Recently accepted by #QJE, “The Impact of Being Denied a Wanted Abortion on Women and their Children,” by Londoño-Vélez (@jlondonovelez.bsky.social) and Saravia: doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

WOW! papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... "Adopting an AI instrument significantly affects judges’ decisions by increasing the probability of offering alternative punishments, lowering the probability of incarceration, and shortening sentence terms." Wael Jabr at the IDB today!