Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith is a Professor of Economics at University College London (UCL), serving as Head of the Economics Department (1997–2002) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences (2007–2013). His primary research focuses on environmental policy, taxation, and European VAT systems. He has authored influential works like Environmental Economics: A Very Short Introduction (2011) and Taxation: A Very Short Introduction (2015), simplifying complex economic concepts for non-specialists.

Research contributions include analysis of environmental tax instruments, VAT fraud prevention, and duty-free shopping economics. He has advised governments and international organizations such as HM Treasury, the European Commission, and the IMF. His affiliations include Research Associate roles at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and Research Fellow at CESifo (Munich).