Thomas Baunsgaard

Thomas Baunsgaard serves as Deputy Chief in the Tax Policy Division of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department, where he has established himself as a leading authority on extractive industries taxation and natural resource wealth management. After two decades at the IMF, he has built an extraordinary career spanning tax policy, capacity building, and economic development. As head of the IMF's extractive industries tax policy work, he oversees the multi-donor Managing Natural Resource Wealth Trust Fund, which helps resource-rich developing countries build capacity for managing their natural wealth. His expertise extends to designing fiscal regimes for mining and petroleum sectors, developing tax administration frameworks, and implementing macro-fiscal policies in resource-dependent economies. Prior to his current role, he served as IMF Resident Representative in Tanzania and Malawi, following earlier positions as tax policy advisor with Papua New Guinea's Internal Revenue Commission and country economist at the World Bank's West Bank and Gaza Office. Through his leadership of major initiatives like the Natural Resource Fiscal Regimes program and contributions to international tax policy during crises, he continues to shape how developing nations harness their resource wealth while maintaining focus on sustainable economic development