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The Signaling Role of Charitable Contributions by Businesses: A Tax Policy Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Tomer Blumkin
  • Yoram Margaliioth
  • Efraim Sadka
  • Adi Sharoni

Abstract

Empirical evidence suggests that charitable contributions to public goods may be driven not only by the familiar warm-glow of giving motive but also as a means for businesses to signal high product quality. Building on this finding, we present an analytical framework that characterizes the optimal government policy, assuming that the government may either directly provide the public good or subsidize its private provision. We show that in the optimal solution the government should subsidize the private provision of the public good and refrain from direct provision. We further demonstrate that the optimal degree of subsidization should decrease with the extent to which the signal is informative, and may even turn into a tax when the signal is sufficiently strong. Finally, we compare the current practice in the US, a charitable contribution deduction provided by Section 170 of the US Tax Code, with the optimal design suggested by our normative analysis and offer changes that would bring the Section closer to the social optimum.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomer Blumkin & Yoram Margaliioth & Efraim Sadka & Adi Sharoni, 2016. "The Signaling Role of Charitable Contributions by Businesses: A Tax Policy Perspective," CESifo Working Paper Series 6106, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Blumkin, Tomer & Sadka, Efraim, 2007. "A case for taxing charitable donations," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(7-8), pages 1555-1564, August.
    2. Jon Bakija, 2013. "Tax Policy and Philanthropy: A Primer on the Evidence for the U.S. and its Implications," Department of Economics Working Papers 2013-01, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    3. Roland Bénabou & Jean Tirole, 2010. "Individual and Corporate Social Responsibility," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 77(305), pages 1-19, January.
    4. In-Koo Cho & David M. Kreps, 1987. "Signaling Games and Stable Equilibria," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 102(2), pages 179-221.
    5. Glazer, Amihai & Konrad, Kai A, 1996. "A Signaling Explanation for Charity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(4), pages 1019-1028, September.
    6. Andreoni, James, 1989. "Giving with Impure Altruism: Applications to Charity and Ricardian Equivalence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(6), pages 1447-1458, December.
    7. Daniel W. Elfenbein & Ray Fisman & Brian Mcmanus, 2012. "Charity as a Substitute for Reputation: Evidence from an Online Marketplace," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(4), pages 1441-1468.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public goods; Pigouvian taxation; warm glow; signaling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • K30 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - General

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