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U.S. worldwide taxation and domestic mergers and acquisitions

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  • Harris, Jeremiah
  • O'Brien, William

Abstract

This study shows that domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) were inhibited by the U.S.’s worldwide tax policy on foreign-earned income. Double Irish structures, a complex web of subsidiaries that reduce foreign tax rates and therefore increase potential repatriation tax rates, are associated with lower levels of domestic M&A by U.S. firms. These results do not reflect a continuation of prior trends or declines in worldwide acquisitiveness and are robust to several econometric approaches. We suggest that the Double Irish variable mitigates a confounding effect in an alternative tax variable that clouds inferences in tests of repatriation taxes and domestic M&A.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris, Jeremiah & O'Brien, William, 2018. "U.S. worldwide taxation and domestic mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 419-438.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:66:y:2018:i:2:p:419-438
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2018.08.008
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeremiah Harris & William O'Brien, 2022. "Do U.S. firms disguise acquisitions to avoid taxes?," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 57(1), pages 95-127, February.
    2. Godsell, David & Huang, Kelly & Lao, Brent, 2023. "Managers’ rank & file employee coordination costs and real activities manipulation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Yousry Ahmed & Tamer Elshandidy, 2021. "Effect of leverage deviation on choices and outcomes of public versus non‐public acquisitions," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 3436-3459, July.
    4. Chen, Novia X. & Shevlin, Terry, 2018. "“U.S. worldwide taxation and domestic mergers and acquisitions” a discussion✰," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 439-447.
    5. Barbieri, Elisa & Huang, Manli & Pi, Shenglei & Pollio, Chiara & Rubini, Lauretta, 2021. "Investigating the linkages between industrial policies and M&A dynamics: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Austin, Josh & Harris, Jeremiah & O'Brien, William, 2020. "Do the most prominent firms really make the worst deals? How selection issues affect inferences from M&A studies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Acquisitions; Repatriation; Taxes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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