The Institute for Fiscal Studies

Who we are

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is Europe’s leading independent microeconomic research institute. Our goal is to promote effective economic and social policies by better understanding how policies affect individuals, families, businesses and the government’s finances. Researchers at IFS conduct high quality empirical research, which has gained a worldwide reputation for academic rigour. Our remit and expertise cover important topics such as education, health, public finances, retirement, consumer behaviour, overseas development, tax, inequality and poverty.  We communicate our findings widely, impacting upon the policy debate, the media and policymakers.