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Abayomi is a teacher in Nigeria, whose school could be better funded by better tax measures.

Tax justice

Tax justice is a central concern for anyone working for social justice. We believe in genuinely progressive taxation: that is, tax systems that generate sufficient public revenue, while ensuring that this revenue is fairly redistributed and focused on rebalancing economic and gender inequalities.

Progressive taxation means higher tax rates for those with more wealth. We believe that taxes can be made more progressive through well-designed scales, exemptions and thresholds: property tax, capital gains tax and other wealth taxes, such as inheritance tax, are examples of generally progressive taxes, while consumption taxes tend to be regressive, as they apply a fixed rate to everyone. Overall, a mix of progressive taxes with high rates for high-earners, combined with low-rated consumption taxes will bring about a more progressive overall tax system.

Developing countries have a particular need to increase their tax revenue, to ensure that they can pay for essential activities. However, they tend to rely more heavily on consumption taxes to raise revenue, although these have a disproportionate impact on women and poorer people. Meanwhile, corporate tax avoidance and evasion is taking place on a massive scale, effectively shifting tax contributions from the wealthiest groups in society to the poorest. We want to ensure that the right level of funding is available for gender-responsive public services, such as health care, education, and clean water, and we do this by tracking how governments spend their tax revenue, to ensure it contributes to reducing inequalities.

Tax is powerful. It funds schools and hospitals everywhere. Right now, tax dodging and tax breaks are taking billions of dollars away from vital public services every year.

Latest

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News

Kenya's ill-advised tax increases illustrate IMF's failed policies, ActionAid says

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Schoolchild in Kenya
Publication

Over 18 million girls missing school in Africa as continent loses USD29 billion in education funding through flawed taxation

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44-year-old Mariatu Turay who though receives monthly salary, face similar struggles as Martha. The health unit she works in serves 15 catchments of 5351 people with five nurses who work on shifts of 2 or 3 at a time. They run the expanded immunization program, Antenatal care, Outpatient, General, and Under 5 cares.
News

IMF meetings are a chance to address harmful austerity and debt policies says ActionAid 

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News

Big business’ windfall profits rocket to “obscene” $1 trillion a year amid cost-of-living crisis; Oxfam and ActionAid renew call for windfall taxes    

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Young Urban Women (YUW) and The Nurses Association of Malawi (NAM) an ActionAid Partner, Norah, a paediatric nurse
Story

Nurses fight to provide care despite funding cuts in Malawi

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Director of Chigwirizano Women’s Movement and Action Aid partner Loveness Chiwaya is seen moving around Nkhulambe village, inspecting damage in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Nkhulambe Village.
Publication

The Vicious Cycle

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Exclamation mark
News

Kenya's ill-advised tax increases illustrate IMF's failed policies, ActionAid says

Read more
44-year-old Mariatu Turay who though receives monthly salary, face similar struggles as Martha. The health unit she works in serves 15 catchments of 5351 people with five nurses who work on shifts of 2 or 3 at a time. They run the expanded immunization program, Antenatal care, Outpatient, General, and Under 5 cares.
News

IMF meetings are a chance to address harmful austerity and debt policies says ActionAid 

Read more
News

Big business’ windfall profits rocket to “obscene” $1 trillion a year amid cost-of-living crisis; Oxfam and ActionAid renew call for windfall taxes    

Read more
Wangari speaking
News

On the launch of the Santiago Declaration for Public Services, ActionAid joins hundreds of organisations to demand 'Our Future is Public’

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Esther Nalumbulu and all her Daughters
News

ActionAid Zambia reaffirms its position on the IMF Managing Director’s visit.

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Esther Nalumbulu and all her Daughters
News

Reactions to the IMF programme in Zambia

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Wangari speaking
Opinion

ActionAid Joins Hundreds of Organisations Declaring That ‘Our Future Is Public’

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Campaigners on Human Rights day
Opinion

Plans for debt restructuring in Zambia are an urgent first step

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Umma is one of the 1196 children who received radios from ActionAid through the Tax and gender responsive public services project across Lagos and Sokoto in 2020 to facilitate continued learning after school closure due to covid.
Opinion

Fair tax systems are needed for a just and inclusive Covid recovery

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Nurse Margaret Kasolo, 57, educates women at Kawala Health Center IV in Kampala, Uganda
Opinion

How just three Big Tech companies could address nurse shortages in 20 poor countries by paying their fair share of corporate tax

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Opinion

Taxing for equality

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Abayomi is a teacher in Nigeria, whose school could be better funded by better tax measures.
Opinion

How to achieve quality education for all and Leave No One Behind

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Young Urban Women (YUW) and The Nurses Association of Malawi (NAM) an ActionAid Partner, Norah, a paediatric nurse
Story

Nurses fight to provide care despite funding cuts in Malawi

Read more
Australia's Parliament building in Canberra
Story

Leveraging tax transparency

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People protesting for education funding
Story

Financing education

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Tax Policy and Programme Manager Hannah Brejnholt Tranberg debating “who should pay taxes?” at Folkemødet 2018
Story

A report that opens doors

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Participants are seen at “Citizen's Tax Tribunal”, a mock tribunal, organised by ActionAid Bangladesh at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of the University of Dhaka.
Story

Citizens’ Tax Tribunals

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Story

Tax pays for schools

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Schoolchild in Kenya
Publication

Over 18 million girls missing school in Africa as continent loses USD29 billion in education funding through flawed taxation

Read more
Director of Chigwirizano Women’s Movement and Action Aid partner Loveness Chiwaya is seen moving around Nkhulambe village, inspecting damage in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Nkhulambe Village.
Publication

The Vicious Cycle

Read more
Umma is one of the 1,196 children who received radios from ActionAid through the Tax and Gender Responsive Public Services project across Lagos and Sokoto, to facilitate continued learning after school closures due to Covid-19.
Publication

The ActionAid Tax Justice Reflection Action Toolkit

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Orji is an unpaid nurse and midwife in a local hospital with no water source, no electricity and no government funding.
Publication

Mission Recovery: How big tech’s tax bill could kickstart a fairer economy

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A traditional gold mining site in Senegal
Publication

Extractive Sector Taxation

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Two women holding posters calling for fair taxation
Publication

Supporting fair tax systems

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