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Start-ups, Venture Capitalists, and the Capital Gains Tax

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  • Christian Keuschnigg
  • Søren Bo Nielsen

Abstract

A model of start-up finance with double moral hazard is proposed. Entrepreneurs have ideas but lack own resources as well as commercial experience. Venture capitalists provide start-up finance and managerial support. Both types of agents thus jointly contribute to the firm’s success, but neither type’s effort is verifiable. We find that the market equilibrium is biased towards inefficiently low venture capital support. In this situation, the capital gains tax is particularly harmful. The introduction of a small tax impairs managerial advice and leads to first order welfare losses. Once the tax is in place, limitations on loss off-set may paradoxically contribute to higher quality of venture capital backed entrepreneurship and welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Keuschnigg & Søren Bo Nielsen, 2002. "Start-ups, Venture Capitalists, and the Capital Gains Tax," CESifo Working Paper Series 742, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_742
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    venture capital; capital gains taxation; double moral hazard.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • 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

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