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Do Corporate and Personal Income Taxes Affect Incorporation?

Author

Listed:
  • Félix Domínguez Barrero

    (Universidad de Zaragoza)

  • Julio López Laborda

    (Universidad de Zaragoza)

  • Fernando Rodrigo Sauco

    (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Abstract

The paper estimates the impact that the differences of taxation in the Spanish Personal Income Tax (IRPF) and Corporate Income Tax (IS) cause in the division of the economic activity between corporate and noncorporate firms. The exercise is based on the approach proposed by Mackie-Mason and Gordon (1997), who specifies the relation between both taxes by means of the construction of a variable that measures the “fiscal distortion” to incorporating. In our research, the fiscal distortion is estimated from the calculation of the “average effective tax rates” for the sole and social proprietors, adapting the methodology established by Devereux and Griffith (1998b). The paper concludes that the tax factors do not turn out to be significant in the organizational decisions of the firms in Spain, and that are the nontax and macroeconomic aspects those that explain the weight of the corporate firms in the managerial activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Félix Domínguez Barrero & Julio López Laborda & Fernando Rodrigo Sauco, 2005. "Do Corporate and Personal Income Taxes Affect Incorporation?," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 174(3), pages 55-86, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:hpe:journl:y:2005:v:174:i:3:p:55-86
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    7. Roger H. Gordon & Joel Slemrod, 1998. "Are "Real" Responses to Taxes Simply Income Shifting Between Corporate and Personal Tax Bases?," NBER Working Papers 6576, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Personal Income Tax; Corporate Tax; organizational form; fiscal distortion; average effective tax rate.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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