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Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting: A Comment

Author

Listed:
  • Møen, Jarle

    (Dept. of Finance and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration)

  • Schindler, Dirk

    (Dept. of Economics, University of Konstanz)

  • Schjelderup, Guttorm

    (Dept. of Finance and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration)

Abstract

In a recent article, Huizinga, Laeven and Nicodème (2008) present a novel model that motivates an extensive empirical analysis of international debt shifting. We point out that the model fails to account for internal debt, and that once internal debt is properly accounted for, the external debt mechanism they propose is not identified in the empirical analysis. We also point out that affiliate specific debt costs reduce affiliate dividends. When this is implemented in the model, their regression equation can only be derived under the very restrictive assumption that effective tax rates on dividends are the same in all countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Møen, Jarle & Schindler, Dirk & Schjelderup, Guttorm, 2008. "Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting: A Comment," Discussion Papers 2008/15, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2008_015
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/164128
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Buettner, Thiess & Overesch, Michael & Schreiber, Ulrich & Wamser, Georg, 2009. "Taxation and capital structure choice--Evidence from a panel of German multinationals," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 309-311, December.
    2. Thiess Büttner & Georg Wamser, 2007. "Intercompany Loans and Profit Shifting – Evidence from Company-Level Data," CESifo Working Paper Series 1959, CESifo.
    3. Jack Mintz & Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2005. "Taxation and the Financial Structure of German Outbound FDI," CESifo Working Paper Series 1612, CESifo.
    4. Huizinga, Harry & Laeven, Luc & Nicodeme, Gaetan, 2008. "Capital structure and international debt shifting," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 80-118, April.
    5. Chowdhry, Bhagwan & Coval, Joshua D., 1998. "Internal financing of multinational subsidiaries: Debt vs. equity1," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 87-106, March.
    6. Leechor, Chad & Mintz, Jack, 1993. "On the taxation of multinational corporate investment when the deferral method is used by the capital exporting country," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 75-96, May.
    7. Mihir A. Desai & C. Fritz Foley & James R. Hines, 2004. "A Multinational Perspective on Capital Structure Choice and Internal Capital Markets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 59(6), pages 2451-2487, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Buettner, Thiess & Wamser, Georg, 2013. "Internal Debt and Multinational Profit Shifting: Empirical Evidence From Firm-Level Panel Data," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 66(1), pages 63-95, March.
    2. Georg Wamser, 2014. "The Impact of Thin-Capitalization Rules on External Debt Usage – A Propensity Score Matching Approach," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 76(5), pages 764-781, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multinational Firms; International Business; Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Business Taxes and Subsidies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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