3rd World Bank Tax Conference: New Tax Instruments

The 3rd World Bank Tax Conference, co-organized with the TaxDev Centre, will bring together leading researchers and policy makers to discuss recent research on new tax instruments, including carbon taxes and other environmental taxes, taxes on the digital economy, and novel sin taxes such as taxes on carbonated drinks.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for countries to raise government revenue is immense, as is the need to tax in an equitable and efficient manner. Meanwhile, the nature of our economies is changing rapidly. Climate change continues almost unabatedly, the size of the digital economy is growing exponentially, and many countries face rising rates of obesity. Governments are exploring new tax instruments to address negative externalities and finance public goods provision in this fast-changing world.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Professor Carolyn Fischer, Canada 150 Research Chair in Climate Economics at the University of Ottawa and Professor of Environmental Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, research presentations and academic discussions, and a special session in which policy makers will present policy proposals and receive feedback from academics.