Learn the economic foundations of tax policy, tax incentives, international taxation, and statistical and revenue forecasting techniques needed to implement successful tax reforms to enhance revenues, improve the equity and efficiency of taxes, and promote economic growth.
The Tax Policy for Practitioners (TPP) program is a hybrid executive education course that equips policymakers and practitioners with advanced tools to design, analyze, and implement effective tax policy. Covering major areas of taxation, including value-added taxes, personal and corporate income taxes, excises, carbon and property taxes, trade taxes, and natural resource taxation, the program begins with a virtual foundation in core tax principles and culminates in a three-week, in-person intensive. Participants apply macroeconomic models, micro-simulation models and typical taxpayer models to design tax policies to address real-world policy challenges, supported by individualized faculty feedback and guidance.
The TPP (previously TARF) program has been running for more than 20 years with alumni from over 60 countries. Past participants have been from Ministries of Finance and Tax Administrations from all regions of the Globe as well as from the World Bank and U.N. Agencies. Our faculty have also customized this program for individual government ministries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
About the Program
This program trains participants on all major taxation policies and prepares participants for new developments in taxation arising from greater globalization and the digital economy. By the end of this program, participants will learn how to:
- Design tax policies to maximize revenue in a sustainable manner.
- Estimate how tax policies impact different income groups.
- Assess the effectiveness of different tax policies.
In line with these program objectives, participants will engage in comprehensive sessions on tax policy analysis throughout the program.
Topics covered
Tax Policy Analysis
- Principles of taxation and tax reform
- Tax incentives
- Economic impact of taxes and subsidies
- Consumption and expenditure taxes
- Principles of international taxation
- Wealth and asset taxation & property and real estate taxes
- Taxation of natural resources
- Taxation of financial sectors
- Inflation and taxation
- Taxation of e-commerce and the digital economy
- Taxation of MNCs and BEPS
- Tax and climate change
- Tax incidence
Revenue Forecasting
- Macroeconomic forecasting models
- Micro-simulation models
- Regression based models
- Machine learning models
- Forecasting revenues for:
- Value-added and excise taxes
- Customs duty and other trade taxes
- Personal income taxes
- Corporate income taxes
- Taxes on natural resources
- Property taxes
Tax Incentives / Tax Expenditures
- Cost-benefit analysis of tax incentives
- Tax expenditure estimation (income taxes and VAT)
- Tax competition and design of tax incentives
- Tax incentives for research and development
- Global minimum tax and tax incentives policy (combined with International Taxation track)
International Taxation
- Overview of tax treaties and international tax avoidance
- Transfer pricing and international dispute resolution
- Base erosion and profit shifting project
- Global Pillar I
- Global Pillar II
- Global minimum tax and tax incentives policy (combined with Tax Incentives / Tax Expenditures track)
Tuition for the TPP program is $11,000. Applicants who are accepted by March 16 will receive a 10% priority registration pricing. Special alumni and partner pricing is available upon request. For more information, please email us.
Tuition and fees cover:
- Faculty instruction from Duke faculty and expert guest speakers from the World Bank, IMF, etc.
- 3-Star hotel accommodations with in-suite kitchenette and free breakfast
- Transportation for all program-related activities
- All course materials and resources
- Use of a laptop computer
- Emergency medical insurance
Tuition does not cover airfare, meals, or incidental expenses, as those vary from person to person.
This training program is open to individuals working professionally in tax policy, tax administration, economics, finance, accounting, management or other related fields. These include:
- Public and private sector executives
- Officials of revenue authorities and ministries of finance
- Professionals in multilateral and regional banks
- Consultants assisting decision makers in public and private sectors
The Sanford School of Public Policy has a decades-long history of supporting capacity building efforts with partners around the world. Past partners for custom versions of our Tax Policy for Practitioners program have included foreign governments, development banks and multilateral institutions. Our team works with partners to customize a training program’s content and duration based on partner needs. To further ensure a customized training program meets a partner’s need, we are able to deliver programming virtually or in off-campus locations, including Duke University’s downtown Washington, D.C. office.
Program Information
Program Dates:
Part I (Online): June 15 - 24, (M,W,F from 9-11:30am US EST)
Part II (In-Person): June 29 - July 17, 2026
Priority Registration Deadline:
March 19, 2026 (for priority pricing)
Registration Deadline:
April 13, 2026
Location
This hybrid program begins online and concludes in person at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy on Duke’s scenic West Campus, located in the dynamic city of Durham, North Carolina.
Questions?
Email the Executive Education Team at sanfordexeced@duke.edu.
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Interested in similar courses? Check out our Project Appraisal and Risk Management.
Meet the Program Director
Sebastian James, professor of the practice at Duke University, previously worked as a Senior Economist at the World Bank, where he advised several countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe on the design of their tax policy and tax administration with an emphasis on economic growth and fiscal adequacy. He has also worked in cross-cutting areas covering the role of tax policy on investment policy, inequality and climate change and his research work on tax incentives is influential. Prior to the World Bank, he worked with the Indian Revenue Service and held senior positions in India’s Tax Administration and Tax Policy between 1996 and 2002. He earned a PhD from Harvard University.
Supporting Faculty
Gangadhar P. Shukla
Professor of the Practice Emeritus
Peter Barnes
Senior Fellow
Cory Krupp
Professor of the Practice
Roy Kelly
Professor of the Practice Emeritus
Sanjay Kumar
Senior Fellow
Richard Schmalbeck
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Distinguished Professor of Law
The program has something for everybody, from tax administrators to policy makers to academics. My experience at Duke opened my eyes about my own country… My view of the world will never be the same.
Patrick Kambewa, TPP participant