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Exploring Residual Profit Allocation

Author

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  • Sebastian Beer
  • Ruud de Mooij
  • Shafik Hebous
  • Michael Keen
  • Li Liu

Abstract

Residual profit allocation (RPA) schemes have come to prominence in discussions of international tax reform but with almost nothing known about their economic impact. These schemes tax multinationals by allocating their "routine" profits to source countries and sharing their remaining "residual" profit across countries on some formulaic basis. This paper explores the implications, conceptual and empirical, of moving to some form of RPA. Residual profits are estimated to be substantial and concentrated in relatively few multinational enterprises. The impact on tax revenue appears beneficial for developing countries. Aggregate production efficiency is unlikely to increase unless routine profits are lightly taxed.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Beer & Ruud de Mooij & Shafik Hebous & Michael Keen & Li Liu, 2023. "Exploring Residual Profit Allocation," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 70-109, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:15:y:2023:i:1:p:70-109
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200212
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rüdiger Pethig & Andreas Wagener, 2007. "Profit tax competition and formula apportionment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 14(6), pages 631-655, December.
    2. Cobham, Alex & Loretz, Simon, 2014. "International Distribution of the Corporate Tax Base: Implications of Different Apportionment Factors under Unitary Taxation," Working Papers 11176, Institute of Development Studies, International Centre for Tax and Development.
    3. Mardan, Mohammed & Stimmelmayr, Michael, 2018. "Tax revenue losses through cross-border loss offset: An insurmountable hurdle for formula apportionment?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 188-210.
    4. Susanto Basu, 2019. "Are Price-Cost Markups Rising in the United States? A Discussion of the Evidence," NBER Working Papers 26057, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Clemens Fuest & Thomas Hemmegarn & Fred Ramb, 2007. "How would the introduction of an EU-wide formula apportionment affect the distribution and size of the corporate tax base? An analysis based on German multinationals," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 14(5), pages 627-629, October.
    6. Ruud De Mooij & Li Liu & Dinar Prihardini, 2021. "An Assessment of Global Formula Apportionment," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(2), pages 431-465.
    7. Sara Calligaris & Chiara Criscuolo & Luca Marcolin, 2018. "Mark-ups in the digital era," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2018/10, OECD Publishing.
    8. Susanto Basu, 2019. "Are Price-Cost Markups Rising in the United States? A Discussion of the Evidence," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(3), pages 3-22, Summer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Janský, Petr, 2024. "Profit shifting of multinational corporations worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Wolfram F. Richter, 2022. "Taxing Multinational Enterprises: A Theory-Based Approach to Reform," CESifo Working Paper Series 10119, CESifo.
    3. Kempkes, Gerhard & Stähler, Nikolai, 2021. "Re-allocating taxing rights and minimum tax rates in international profit taxation," Discussion Papers 03/2021, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    4. Cobham, Alex & Faccio, Tommaso & FitzGerald, Valpy, 2019. "Global inequalities in taxing rights: An early evaluation of the OECD tax reform proposals," SocArXiv j3p48, Center for Open Science.
    5. Klein, Daniel & Ludwig, Christopher A. & Nicolay, Katharina & Spengel, Christoph, 2021. "Quantifying the OECD BEPS indicators: An update to BEPS Action 11," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-013, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance

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