We’re delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for the inaugural CenTax Residential Conference.
The ‘Closing the Tax Gap’ conference will take place 23–24 April 2026 at the University of Warwick. Our multidisciplinary event will bring together tax professionals, think tanks, the civil service and academia for two days of discussion on the tax gap in the UK.
BOOK HERE (See below for more information on ticket prices)
EVENT PROGRAMME
The ‘Closing the Tax Gap’ conference will start at 10:30am on 23rd April and close at 3:30pm on 24th April 2026 at the University of Warwick.
The programme will be confirmed over the coming weeks, but will include:
- An additional keynote from a leading voice in UK tax policy.
- Plenary panel discussions on topics such as:
- Where We Stand: The UK Tax Gap in 2026
- Breaking Down the 60%: SMEs, Micro-Business & the Hidden Economy
- Data, Digitalisation & Tax Compliance
- The Long Game: Building a Roadmap to Close the Tax Gap
- Interactive roundtable sessions under Chatham House Rule on specific elements of closing the tax gap – covering tax administration, compliance, HMRC capacity and emerging data/tech tools.
- Overnight accommodation and meals included in the price, including a lakeside drinks reception and conference dinner.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
We are delighted to confirm Professor Annette Alstadsæter, Director of Skatteforsk (Norwegian Centre for Tax Research), as one of our keynote speakers, alongside Dan Neidle, Founder of Tax Policy Associates, as our after-dinner speaker.
Annette’s research has been at the forefront of global debates on tax avoidance, tax evasion and inequality. Dan brings 25 years of experience as a tax lawyer and now leads Tax Policy Associates, a think tank dedicated to improving tax and legal policy, and the public understanding of tax. Together Annette and Dan will bring differing, but equally important, perspectives on contemporary tax policy in the UK and internationally.
We’re also delighted to welcome expert speakers and panellists such as:
- Edward Troup (ex-HMRC)
- Priya Vijayasarathy (Deloitte)
- Judith Freedman (University of Oxford)
- Paul Aplin (CIOT)
- Ele Theochari (Blick Rothenberg)
- Arun Advani (CenTax)
- Bill Dodwell (HMRC)
- Chris Southworth (HMRC)
- Ronan McDonald (HMRC)
- Ellen Milner (CIOT)
- Martin Swain (Companies House)
- Simon York (Deloitte)
- Jane Mellor (CIOT)
- Chris Irwin (HMRC)
- Ray McCann (Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen)
- Emma Rawson (ATT)
- Andy Summers (CenTax)
- Louise Bladen (NAO)
- Søren Pedersen (IMF)
BREAKOUT PROGRAMME
Our breakout programme is designed to move into the practical conversations on the realities of closing the tax gap. These will be focused sessions on tightly defined topics linked to the overall conference theme. They are designed to be interactive, discussion-led sessions that generate specific insights, conclusions and actions for participants to take forward if they wish. Each breakout will be led by an individual expert (or small group of experts) who will shape the discussion. All breakout sessions will be held under the Chatham House Rule.
A significant portion of the tax gap is driven by fraud and economic crime, ranging from small-scale evasion to highly organised criminal activity operating across supply chains and corporate structures. Breakout discussions will examine the scale and evolving nature of this challenges related to economic crime, including how different actors across government and beyond can work together on these challenges.
Offshore non-compliance and the taxation of wealthy individuals remain politically sensitive and technically demanding areas of the tax gap. Despite significant advances in international information exchange and transparency, questions persist about the scale of residual offshore risk and gaps that remain. Sessions will examine where the biggest compliance challenges lie and continue the conversation on HMRC’s approach to taxing the wealthy.
HMRC’s operations and its role in helping to close the tax gap will also be an area of focus, with discussions on capacity and service standards, HMRC’s digital transformation agenda, and the role of intermedaries. As the HMRC modernises systems while managing resource pressures, these discussions will examine the impact on voluntary compliance, taxpayer behaviour and trust in the system on the tax gap.
Closing the tax gap depends not only on enforcement, but on looking at the overall design of the tax administration system, including the data, legislation and other levers that HMRC and others have access to. We’ll discuss how government can make better use of the data it already holds, asking how advances in analytics will create opportunities for a more data-driven compliance strategy.
HOW TO BOOK
To ensure a balanced and diverse mix of perspectives, tickets are allocated across key participant groups. Early booking is therefore encouraged to avoid disappointment and to benefit from early bird pricing.
Ticket prices:
| Professional (Early Bird): £595+VAT | Available until 22 February |
| Professional (Full Price): £745+VAT | Available 23 February – 31 March |
| Academic/Government/Charity: £400+VAT | Available until 31 March |
All tickets include 2-day full conference attendance, including meals, conference dinner and overnight accommodation.
For any questions, please contact events@centax.org.uk.
