VAT and Social Equity: The Case of Period Products
Stefanie Geringer | 18 May 2026
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Gender,
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures,
VAT Value added tax (VAT) is one of the most important revenue sources for the 21st-century tax and welfare state. This holds true for OECD Member Countries as well as EU Member States, and more so for low-income countries.
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From Risk to Resilience. Closing the Climate Insurance Protection Gap
Jérôme Crugnola-Humbert | 8 September 2025
Monetary,
Policy Briefs | Tags:
Climate Risks,
Financial Stability,
Inequality,
Insurance When insurers stop covering climate risks, these risks are transferred onto individuals, businesses, and taxpayers. Insufficient insurance coverage not only undermines the financial system’s ability to absorb shocks but also has wider economic, fiscal, and social repercussions.
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Shedding Light on the Use of Tax Expenditures for Social Spending
Flurim Aliu and
Agustin Redonda | 5 May 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Inequality,
Social Protecion,
Tax Expenditures When we think of government spending on social programmes, we generally picture direct cash transfers, public healthcare, education and subsidized housing. Yet a significant portion of social spending happens outside the traditional budget.
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Beyond the Budget: A Global Perspective on Social Spending Through Tax Expenditures
Flurim Aliu and
Agustin Redonda | 20 November 2024
Fiscal,
Research Papers | Tags:
Inequality,
Social Protection,
Tax Expenditures,
VAT This study underlines the necessity for meticulous evaluation and efficient design of TEs to better align TE regimes with governments' social policy objectives as well as to minimise unintended social or economic consequences.
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Addressing Gender Disparities in Tax Expenditures
Sofia Berg,
Giulia Mascagni and
Caroline Othim | 3 September 2024
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Gender,
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures Understanding the interaction between tax expenditures and gender-based inequalities is essential to ensure that the tax system is fair and equitable – including gender equality in tax matters and the economy more broadly.
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Net Zero Central Banking in Africa’s Diverse Economies: Challenges, Opportunities and Policy Options
Reuben Wambui,
Joseph Feyertag and
Pierre Monnin | 29 November 2023
Monetary,
Policy Briefs | Tags:
Africa,
Central Banks,
Climate Risks,
Financial Stability,
Inequality Africa’s economies are contending with a diverse set of challenges and opportunities in relation to building low-carbon, green economies and the transition to net zero emissions. Central banks can play a pivotal role in enabling the green transition in Africa.
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Tax Expenditure Scrutiny Can End Trillion-Dollar Political Game
Flurim Aliu,
Doug Koplow and
Agustin Redonda | 19 January 2023
Fiscal,
Op-Eds | Tags:
Income Tax,
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures,
United States Too often, government spending is understood only as cash payments to specific individuals or groups. However, targeted exemptions or reductions in taxes owed strain public coffers similarly to direct spending, though often with far less visibility.
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Supporting the Just Transition: a Roadmap for Central Banks and Financial Supervisors
Pierre Monnin and
Nick Robins | 22 December 2022
Monetary,
Policy Briefs | Tags:
Central Banks,
Financial Inclusion,
Financial Supervision,
Inequality,
Transition risks Shifting to a sustainable economy will reshape the outlook for countries and sectors across the world. Managed well, the net zero transition could lead to more and better jobs as well as reduced risks from climate shocks. Managed poorly, however, it could result not
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Tax Expenditures—The $1.5 Trillion Elephant in the (Budget) Room
Tom Neubig and
Agustin Redonda | 16 September 2021
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Income Tax,
Inequality,
Tax Expenditures The Biden administration FY 2022 Budget proposal includes $2.4 trillion of additional revenue over the next 10 years. Higher tax rates on high-income individuals and corporations account for $990 billion. At the same time, the budget proposes $1.35 trillion of new tax expenditures from exemptions,
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Global Tax Expenditures Database – Official Launch
16 June 2021, 15.00-17.30 CET | Online Conferences,
Fiscal | Tags:
Inequality,
Sustainability,
Tax Expenditures,
Tax Reform The Council on Economic Policies (CEP) and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) have launched the «Global Tax Expenditures Database» (GTED): www.GTED.net with an online conference on 16 June 2021. The key findings of the GTED Flagship report presented at
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