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Country characteristics and the incidence of capital income taxation on wages: An empirical assessment

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  • Céline Azémar
  • R. Glenn Hubbard

Abstract

This paper examines the incidence of corporate income taxes on wages using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 13 OECD countries. Within a wage‐bargaining framework, our econometric analysis shows that a substantial share of the corporate tax burden is shifted from capital to labour. However, the magnitude of this shift is influenced importantly by country characteristics affecting the process of wage determination, such as the degree of capital mobility, a country's relative influence over the world price of output and trade unions’ strength. Caractéristiques des pays et incidence de la fiscalité sur les revenus de capital sur les salaires : une évaluation empirique. Ce mémoire examine l'incidence des impôts sur les revenus des corporations sur les salaires à l'aide de données du Bureau of Labor Statistics pour 13 pays de l'OCDE. Dans le cadre d'un modèle de négociation des salaires, une analyse économétrique montre qu'une portion substantielle du fardeau des impôts sur le revenu des corporations est déplacée du capital vers le travail. Cependant la magnitude de ce déplacement est influencée de manière importante par les caractéristiques du pays qui influencent le processus de détermination des salaires comme le degré de mobilité du capital, l'importance relative d'un pays sur le prix mondial de son extrant, et la forces des syndicats.

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  • Céline Azémar & R. Glenn Hubbard, 2015. "Country characteristics and the incidence of capital income taxation on wages: An empirical assessment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(5), pages 1762-1802, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:48:y:2015:i:5:p:1762-1802
    DOI: 10.1111/caje.12179
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    2. Clemens Fuest & Andreas Peichl & Sebastian Siegloch, 2018. "Do Higher Corporate Taxes Reduce Wages? Micro Evidence from Germany," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(2), pages 393-418, February.
    3. Samiksha Agarwal & Lekha Chakraborty, 2019. "Business Taxation in an Emerging Economy: Analysing Corporate Tax Incidence," Review of European Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(2), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Clemens Fuest & Andreas Peichl & Sebastian Siegloch, 2017. "Who Carries the Burden of Taxes on Corporate Profits? – Lessons from Experiences with Germany's Trade Tax," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 70(24), pages 22-27, December.
    5. Annette Alstadsæter & Julie Brun Bjørkheim & Ronald B. Davies & Johannes Scheuerer, 2022. "Pennies from Haven: Wages and Profit Shifting," CESifo Working Paper Series 9590, CESifo.
    6. Nelly Exbrayat & Benny Geys, 2016. "Economic Integration, Corporate Tax Incidence and Fiscal Compensation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(11), pages 1792-1811, November.
    7. Clément Carbonnier & Clément Malgouyres & Loriane Py & Camille Urvoy, 2019. "Wage Incidence of a Large Corporate Tax Credit: Contrasting Employee - and Firm - Level Evidence," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03393095, HAL.
    8. Robin Boadway & Pierre Pestieau, 2019. "Over the Top: Why an Annual Wealth Tax for Canada is Unnecessary," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 546, June.
    9. Knaisch, Jonas & Pöschel, Carla, 2021. "Corporate Tax Incidence and Wages: A Meta-Regression Analysis," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 262, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre, revised 2021.
    10. Michelle Hanlon & Jeffrey L. Hoopes & Joel Slemrod, 2019. "Tax Reform Made Me Do It!," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(1), pages 33-80.
    11. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/4ljbipbf1o9r3p7pcm99m06e3e is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Clément Carbonnier & Clément Malgouyres & Loriane Py & Camille Urvoy, 2019. "Wage Incidence of a Large Corporate Tax Credit: Contrasting Employee - and Firm - Level Evidence," Post-Print hal-03393095, HAL.
    13. Baptiste Souillard, 2022. "Profit Shifting, Employee Pay, and Inequalities: Evidence from US-Listed Companies," CESifo Working Paper Series 9720, CESifo.
    14. Clément Carbonnier & Clément Malgouyres & Loriane Py & Camille Urvoy, 2019. "Wage Incidence of a Large Corporate Tax Credit: Contrasting Employee - and Firm - Level Evidence," Post-Print hal-03393095, HAL.

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