Robert Druga-Tache

Innovative mathematical methods for tax system optimisation

TaxSolver is a framework developed by the Dutch Ministry of Finance that translates the tax system into mathematical formulations and searches for tax rates meeting a given set of policy objectives. Druga-Tache's research builds on it in two main directions. The first is scaling the framework up, so that it can work with national datasets rather than reduced samples. The second is widening its coverage of the tax code, particularly deductibles and the rules and exceptions that determine effective tax burdens in practice. Both directions draw on methods from mathematical optimisation, which may include problem decomposition, robust optimisation under uncertainty, and constraint learning.

The goal is to make TaxSolver a practical instrument for evidence-based policy design, able to show which reforms genuinely meet the objectives set for them by policymakers and what they mean for different households. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Finance.