Tax policies for development

At its best, tax is our social superpower: the most effective and important channel of development finance. But international pressures and global governance failures provide a major obstacle, giving rise to global tax losses estimated at nearly half a trillion dollars a year and felt most intensely by lower-income countries. This chapter addresses the important role of tax, the nature of the international obstacles, and the policies—both national and international—that can underpin long-term, sustainable development, including in the context of the climate crisis.