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What does it take for an R&D tax incentive policy to be effective?

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  • Mohnen, Pierre

    () (UNU-MERIT)

  • Lokshin, Boris

    () (UNU-MERIT)

Abstract

While in 1996, 12 OECD countries offered R&D tax incentives, in 2008 this number increased to 21. Most countries have opted for level-based instead of incremental R&D tax incentives. This paper takes a critical look at how the effectiveness of R&D tax incentives has been assessed in recent evaluations. Whether based on structural models estimating a price elasticity of R&D or on treatment evaluation methods, most studies estimate the cost effectiveness ratio or additionality. If the cost effectiveness ratio is greater than 1, or firms to more R&D than before, the policy is considered to be effective. A more proper net welfare evaluation of this policy should also include administration, compliance and transfer costs, the marginal burden of taxation, as well R&D externalities and the indirect effects on innovation and productivity. The net welfare gain is shown to be sensitive to a certain number of parameters that are not always estimated with great precision. In particular, the transfer cost or deadweight loss associated with level-based tax incentives is shown to depend on the size of the firm, or more precisely its ex-ante R&D level. We report on the success of a past policy changes in the Netherlands and simulate the effect of various parameter changes in the existing Dutch R&D tax incentive scheme. We show that introducing marginal changes in the schemes's parameters has little impact of increased R&D spending. The policy is more effective for small firms than for large firms. We end with a discussion of the pros and cons of level-based versus incremental R&D tax incentives.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology in its series UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series with number 014.

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Date of creation: 2009
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Handle: RePEc:dgr:unumer:2009014

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Web page: http://www.merit.unu.edu

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Keywords: R&D tax credits; R&D; tax credits; policy evaluation; cost-benefit analysis;

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References

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  1. Boris Lokshin & Pierre Mohnen, 2007. "Measuring the Effectiveness of R&D tax credits in the Netherlands," CIRANO Working Papers 2007s-29, CIRANO.
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  3. Rufin Baghana & Pierre Mohnen, 2009. "Effectiveness of R&D Tax Incentives in Small and Large Enterprises in Québec," CIRANO Working Papers 2009s-01, CIRANO.
  4. Benjamin Russo, 2004. "A cost-benefit analysis of R&D tax incentives," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 37(2), pages 313-335, May.
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  6. Bloom, Nicholas & Griffith, Rachel & Van Reenen, John, 2000. "Do R&D Credits Work? Evidence From A Panel Of Countries 1979-97," CEPR Discussion Papers 2415, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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  8. Czarnitzki, Dirk & Hanel, Petr & Rosa, Julio Miguel, 2004. "Evaluating the Impact of R&D Tax Credits on Innovation: A Microeconometric Study on Canadian Firms," ZEW Discussion Papers 04-77, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research.
  9. Jacques Mairesse & Benoît Mulkay, 2004. "Une evaluation du credit d’impot recherche en France, 1980-1997," Working Papers 2004-43, Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique.
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  12. Jeffrey I. Bernstein, 1986. "The Effect of Direct and Indirect Tax Incentives on Canadian Industrial R&D Expenditures," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 12(3), pages 438-448, September.
  13. Dagenais, Marcel & Mohnen, Pierre & Therrien, Pierre, 2004. "Les firmes canadiennes répondent-elles aux incitations fiscales à la recherche-développement?," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 80(2), pages 175-205, Juin-Sept.
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  15. Daniel J. Wilson, 2005. "Beggar thy neighbor? the in-state vs. out-of-state impact of state R&D tax credits," Working Paper Series 2005-08, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
  16. Marcel Dagenais & Pierre Mohnen & Pierre Therrien, 1996. "Les firmes canadiennes répondent-elles aux incitations fiscales à la recherche-développement? (rapport final)," CIRANO Project Reports 1996rp-03, CIRANO.
  17. Hall, Bronwyn & Van Reenen, John, 2000. "How effective are fiscal incentives for R&D? A review of the evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4-5), pages 449-469, April.
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Cited by:
  1. Luiz Ricardo Cavalcante & Bruno César Araújo & Donald Pianto & Fernanda De Negri & Patrick Alves, 2011. "Impactos Dos Fundos Setoriais Nasempresas," Anais do XXXVIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 38th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 124, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pósgraduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

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