Presentation | Taxing capital income and wealth in low- and middle-income countries: practice, principles and gaps

From 9th - 11th June 2025, leading thinkers and policymakers gathered in Helsinki for UNU-WIDER's flagship conference 'Safeguarding tomorrow – innovative approaches to growth and equity' taking place as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations.

At a session on “Creating the Fiscal Space for Welfare Spending”, chaired by Jukka Pirttilä, TaxDev researcher Laura Abramovsky presented on the topic of taxation of capital income and wealth in low- and middle-income countries. Laura's presentation focused on current practices, guiding principles, and key evidence gaps, drawing on ongoing collaborative work between TaxDev researchers. The session also featured presentations from Jacob Nunoo (University of Cape Coast), Ntuthuko Hlela (J-PAL Africa / SALDRU), and Ada Jansen (Stellenbosch University), each offering perspectives on how tax policy can better support equitable development and welfare expansion.

The broader discussion reflected on the challenges and opportunities for improving the measurement and taxation of capital income — particularly in African countries — and the importance of evidence-informed policy to address inequality and expand social protection.

Further information on the conference programme including video recordings of all sessions can be found here.