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(Un)intended consequences? The impact of the 2017 tax cuts and jobs act on shareholder wealth

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  • Kalcheva, Ivalina
  • Plečnik, James M.
  • Tran, Hai
  • Turkiela, Jason

Abstract

We study the stock market reactions to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the most significant structural U.S. tax reform in over 30 years. In line with the stated intent of TCJA proponents, we find that the Act benefited highly taxed firms. However, the Act hindered firms with international operations as well as firms with high interest expense and tax losses. Counter to claims that the TCJA would quickly spur economic growth, we find that financially constrained and high growth opportunity firms did not benefit. Rather, market participants anticipate that most of the TCJA's benefits will be passed on to shareholders via higher corporate payouts. We confirm these market expectations by documenting that firms did increase payouts via repurchases after the TCJA, but did not increase their corporate investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Kalcheva, Ivalina & Plečnik, James M. & Tran, Hai & Turkiela, Jason, 2020. "(Un)intended consequences? The impact of the 2017 tax cuts and jobs act on shareholder wealth," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:118:y:2020:i:c:s0378426620301266
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2020.105860
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    2. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2023. "The Consequences of the 2017 US International Tax Reform: A Survey of the Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 10802, CESifo.
    3. Reinald Koch & Svea Holtmann & Henning Giese, 2023. "Losses never sleep – The effect of tax loss offset on stock market returns during economic crises," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 59-109, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Stock returns; Taxes; Event study; Tax Cuts and Jobs Act;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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