TAP sets out Ten Tasks for 2026

A practical programme to reduce poverty, reform taxation, and restore fairness

London, 5 January 2026 - Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) has today set out its Ten Tasks for 2026 — a focused programme of action building on the progress made last year to tackle poverty, reform the tax system, and ensure public money works for the many, not the few.

After a year of growing political traction, stronger alliances, and increased public engagement, TAP is moving decisively from analysis to action.

“Poverty in a wealthy country is not inevitable — it is the result of choices,” said Tom Burgess, CEO of Taxpayers Against Poverty. “Our Ten Tasks for 2026 are about changing those choices.”

TAP’s Ten Tasks for 2026

1. Tax wealth more, tax work less

TAP will continue to campaign for fairer taxation by shifting the burden away from earned income and onto accumulated wealth. Working with partners including Patriotic Millionaires, Tax Justice UK, and Green New Deal Rising, TAP helped secure over 50 MPs to sign an Early Day Motion (EDM) sponsored by Richard Burgon MP calling for a Wealth Tax wealth taxes signed by over 50 MPs, and created a joint letter to the media signed by over 40 MPs calling for wealth taxes

2. Make poverty reduction a national goal

TAP will campaign to prioritise poverty reduction as a core objective of government and will shortly launch the Nicolson Report — exposing the scale of the poverty scandal and setting out practical solutions.

3. Abolish Council Tax for renters

TAP will campaign to end Council Tax for renters and support the move to a Proportional Property Tax, working with partner Fairer Share.

4. Raise low wages

TAP will support efforts to lift pay at the bottom, including backing the work of the Living Wage Foundation, and challenge business models that rely on poverty pay.

5. Build a coalition of MPs for wealth taxes

TAP has identified over 100 MPs supportive of taxing wealth fairly and will continue working with them through briefings, evidence, and parliamentary engagement to shift attitudes and policy.

6. Expose how public money funds poverty wages

TAP will shine a light on how taxpayer money is used to subsidise low pay — and demand reform so public funds raise standards instead of entrenching hardship.

7. Restore honesty, respect and compassion to public life

In partnership with Compassion in Politics, TAP will campaign to bring greater integrity, civility, and humanity into political culture and decision-making.

8. Build a Coalition for Change

TAP will work with other campaigning organisations to create a broad-based movement capable of making reform inevitable — lowering the cost of living and expanding opportunity for all.

9. Convince people that change is possible

TAP will challenge fatalism and defeatism, showing that bold, determined, collective action can — and does — change outcomes.

10. Work locally to change the system

TAP will work with councils, MPs, and communities to deliver real-world change and demonstrate how a fairer system can work in practice.

“This is not the full picture — but it is a strong start,” said Burgess.“If we are bold, determined, and work together, we can reduce poverty and build a fairer society.”

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About Taxpayers Against PovertyTaxpayers against Poverty is a UK-based independent advocacy group dedicated to tackling poverty, inequality, and social injustice by promoting economic policies that have a direct effect on reducing poverty and the unnecessary financial hardship. TAP seeks to influence national and local policy with well-researched and robust evidence of hardship and promote practical policy proposals using a direct approach to decision makers and other influencers.

TAP was founded by the late Rev Paul Nicolson and is led by Tom Burgess, author of From Here to Prosperity, a new political agenda for a sustainable economy and greater social justice, which proposes taxing wealth more and income less. TAP’s sister organisation and partner is Compassion in Politics which seeks to bring more honesty, respect and compassion into political life

For media inquiries, interviews, or to support our campaigns, please contact:

Tom Burgess, CEO, Taxpayers Against Poverty  taxpayersagainstpoverty@gmail.com www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk  www.realagenda.org