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Unilateral Tax Reform: Border Adjusted Taxes, Cash Flow Taxes, and Transfer Pricing

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  • Eric Bond
  • Thomas A. Gresik

Abstract

We study the economic effects of unilateral adoption of corporate tax policies that include destination-based taxes and/or cash ow taxes in a heterogeneous agent model in which multinational firms can endogenously shift income between countries using transfer prices. Standard pass through arguments no longer apply because of the income shifting behavior of multinationals. Over or under- pass through will affect domestic consumer prices charged by multinational firms and will distort the decision of international businesses to outsource intermediate goods or to produce them in a foreign subsidiary. The welfare of the adopting country can decrease both with the adoption of destination-based taxes and the adoption of cash ow taxes. For a country with sufficiently large export markets that can optimally adjust its corporate tax rate on domestic earnings, unilaterally adopting cash ow taxation with full destination-based rate adjustments will reduce welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Bond & Thomas A. Gresik, 2018. "Unilateral Tax Reform: Border Adjusted Taxes, Cash Flow Taxes, and Transfer Pricing," CESifo Working Paper Series 7320, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7320
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    Cited by:

    1. Hayato Kato & Hirofumi Okoshi, 2022. "Economic Integration And Agglomeration Of Multinational Production With Transfer Pricing," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1325-1355, August.
    2. Manon Francois, 2021. "Profit Shifting and Equilibrium Principles of International Taxation," CESifo Working Paper Series 9211, CESifo.
    3. Hiroshi Mukunoki & Hirofumi Okoshi, 2021. "Tariff elimination versus tax avoidance: free trade agreements and transfer pricing," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(5), pages 1188-1210, October.
    4. Thomas A., Gresik & Schjelderup, Guttorm, 2022. "Tax induced transfer pricing under universal adoption of the destination-based cash-flow tax," Discussion Papers 2022/8, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    5. Flach, Lisandra & Irlacher, Michael & Unger, Florian, 2021. "Corporate taxes and multi-product exporters: Theory and evidence from trade dynamics," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    6. Shafik Hebous & Alexander Klemm, 2020. "A destination-based allowance for corporate equity," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(3), pages 753-777, June.
    7. David R. Agrawal & Jan K. Brueckner, 2022. "Taxes and Telework: The Impacts of State Income Taxes in a Work-from-Home Economy," CESifo Working Paper Series 9975, CESifo.
    8. Thomas A. Gresik & Guttorm Schjelderup, 2024. "Transfer pricing under global adoption of destination-based cash-flow taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(1), pages 243-261, February.
    9. Eric W. Bond & Thomas A. Gresik, 2023. "On the incentive compatibility of universal adoption of destination-based cash flow taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(6), pages 1576-1600, December.
    10. Lioara-Veronica Pasc & Camelia-Daniela Hațegan, 2020. "Related Parties’ Transactions: A Literature Overview on Auditor’s Risk," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 1021-1030, December.
    11. Quint, Ansgar F. & Rudsinske, Jonas F., 2020. "International trade and tax-motivated transfer pricing," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 406, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    border adjustments; destination-based taxes; source-based taxes; cash flow taxes; income taxes; transfer pricing; unilateral tax reform;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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