Michael Keen, 2018 Holland Medal Recipient

Michael KeenThe Daniel M. Holland Medal was created in 1993 in the memory of Dan Holland, a Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, who was an internationally recognized researcher, teacher, and practitioner in public finance. The Holland Medal, which is the most prestigious award given by the NTA, recognizes lifetime achievement in the study of the theory and practice of public finance.

This year’s winner of the Holland Medal, Michael “Mick” Keen, is Deputy Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department at the International Monetary Fund. Mick has made fundamental contributions to the theory and practice of public finance, advancing our understanding of complex issues in a clear and insightful manner. His work combines impeccable academic rigor with deep policy relevance.

Mick’s work spans a wide range of important topics in public finance, notably including tax competition and tax coordination, the value-added tax, tax issues in developing countries, the tax treatment of the financial sector, environmental tax policy, corporate income taxation, fiscal federalism, and the interplay between tax and trade policy. His work has been published in leading economic journals; he has also written and edited several books, including The Modern VAT; the Taxation of Petroleum and Minerals; and Digital Revolutions in Public Finance. His work has pushed forward the frontier of both theoretical and empirical research in public finance.

Before joining the IMF, he was Professor of Economics at the University of Essex. Mick was awarded the CESifo-IIPF Musgrave prize in 2010, and is Honorary President of the International Institute of Public Finance. He has served on the Board of the National Tax Association, and on the editorial boards of several journals, including International Tax and Public Finance, of which he was joint founder.

Mick’s work will be celebrated and he will receive the award in November at NTA’s 111th Annual Conference on Taxation in New Orleans. Stay tuned for a report on the Plenary Session honoring Mick and his contributions to the field of public finance.