Event description
Admin Data for Tax Justice is a new global initiative that brings together researchers and government agencies (tax administrations, ministries, statistical offices, etc.) to expand the use of administrative tax data for high-quality, policy-relevant research on tax abuse, compliance, and enforcement. The initiative addresses long-standing fragmentation in data access and governance by creating shared standards, documenting existing research, and supporting secure and sustainable models of collaboration. Its aim is to strengthen the empirical foundations of tax-policy debates worldwide and to ensure that governments around the world can leverage administrative data for evidence-based reform.
The virtual launch event will introduce admindata.taxjustice.net, the initiative’s new database mapping academic and policy research that uses administrative tax data. Developed by the Tax Justice Network with international partners, the database provides the first systematic overview of how administrative data is used in tax research across countries, data types, and methods. By making the field more transparent and navigable, it helps researchers identify gaps, enables tax administrations to understand how similar data is used elsewhere, and facilitates durable collaboration across institutions. The initiative is supported by a growing network of partners, including Skatteforsk, the EU Tax Observatory, UNU-WIDER, the World Bank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (TaxDev), the International Centre for Tax and Development, UNCTAD, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, ODI Global, the South Centre, and Charles University. Let us know if your institution would like to join the initiative!
The virtual launch event will open with Miroslav Palanský (Head of Research, Tax Justice Network, and Assistant Professor of Economics, Charles University, Prague), who will launch the database, explain its structure, and outline how it supports the broader goals of the Admin Data for Tax Justice initiative. This will be followed by a high-level panel, moderated by Alex Cobham (Chief Executive, Tax Justice Network) and featuring Annette Alstadsæter (Professor of Economics, Skatteforsk – Centre for Tax Research, Norwegian University of Life Sciences), Pierre Bachas (Senior Economist, World Bank and EU Tax Observatory), Kat Bilicka (Lars Peter Hansen Associate Professor of Economics and Statistics, Utah State University), Abdul Muheet Chowdhary (Senior Programme Officer, South Centre), and Giovanni Occhiali (Development Economist, International Centre for Tax and Development). The discussion will examine the analytical potential of administrative microdata, lessons from successful data-access models, and the institutional conditions required for secure, ethical, and long-term data use. Panellists will also reflect on how better data infrastructures can transform research on tax avoidance, compliance, inequality, and public-sector capacity.
Register HERE to attend the virtual launch event!
Together, the launch and panel mark the beginning of a coordinated international effort to unlock the value of administrative tax data for public-interest research. The initiative aims to build a lasting global network, improve data governance, and equip governments and researchers with the tools needed to generate rigorous, actionable evidence for fairer and more effective tax systems. The virtual launch will be followed by the initiative’s first in-person workshop in Prague, bringing together researchers and tax-administration partners to deepen collaboration and define next steps. Additional events are planned for 2026, including a regional convening in Accra in Q2, as the initiative expands its global reach and partnerships.