Research Theme
Tax Administration and Compliance
Many of the challenges low-income countries face in mobilising domestic resources are related to tax administration as much as tax policy. Our research on this theme encompasses all aspects of tax administration, from technology adoption, to data management and strategies for collecting revenue from different types of taxpayers. Tax compliance is a key focus, as low-income countries struggle with widespread evasion, corruption, and limited administrative capacity. Our research on compliance includes survey-based studies of taxpayers’ perceptions and attitudes, case studies, and large-scale field experiments.
Key Resources
Tax Administration and Compliance Library
Does Information about Public Services Boost Tax Compliance? I conducted an experiment in Freetown to find out
This research was conducted alongside the ICTD/LoGRI-led initiative to implement comprehensive property tax reforms in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This reform…
We interviewed 83 tax collectors in Malawi and here is what we learnt
Tax specialists have a great deal to say about how African tax collectors could work better but rarely seem to…
Why don’t governments collect more revenue? The answer is complex but here are some new insights
Why don’t governments collect more tax revenue? This question is particularly relevant to lower income countries as many of their…
How digital public infrastructure could transform tax administration in Africa
Evidence suggests that digital public infrastructure (DPI) can greatly simplify tax administration and boost tax compliance. However, some persistent challenges…
Design features of simplified tax regimes for small businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa
Why Cameroon’s mobile money agents are struggling to increase revenue
First tax conference in Sierra Leone hailed a success
Call for Applications: Four fully-funded PhD scholarships in tax and development
The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) is a research centre aiming to improve tax policy and administration in…
Researchers and policymakers to discuss tax collection for Sierra Leone’s development
New MOU and learning activities strengthen ICTD’s partnership with Uganda Revenue Authority
The ICTD is pleased to announce it has re-signed its long-standing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Uganda Revenue Authority…
Job Opportunity: Senior Communications Consultant, DIGITAX Programme
Closing date for applications: May 8th, 2022 The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) is looking to hire a…
Announcing the Local Government Revenue Initiative (LoGRI)
In 2017, the ICTD launched the Africa Property Tax Initiative (APTI) to support efforts to strengthen property taxation across Africa….
Virtual
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Timezone: Europe/London
Revenue administrations have recently been investing significant efforts into registering a large number of new taxpayers, in the broader quest to formalise the informal sector. But have these efforts been effective in increasing revenue and improving administration? The ICTD hosted
In person
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Timezone: Africa/Nairobi
Virtual
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Timezone: Europe/London
Randomised controlled trials is a method that comes with strengths and weaknesses. Especially in theory-based evaluations of complex programmes, the method is often considered as inappropriate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDKcykdVs04&ab_channel=InstituteofDevelopmentStudies Giulia Mascagni will reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the method for
Virtual
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Timezone: Europe/London
Date: 30th May 2023, 13:30 – 14:30 London time Duration: 60 minutes Language: English only There are three puzzling features of Sub-Saharan African tax systems. First, tax administrations maintain records on vast numbers of small enterprises that actually provide no
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