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Corporate Taxes, Profit Shifting and the Location of Intangibles within Multinational Firms

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  • Dischinger, Matthias
  • Riedel, Nadine

Abstract

Intangible assets are one major source of profit shifting opportunities due to a highly intransparent transfer pricing process. Our paper argues that multinational enterprises (MNEs) optimize their profit shifting strategy by locating shifting–relevant intangible property at affiliates with a low statutory corporate tax rate. Using panel data for European MNEs and controlling for unobserved time–constant heterogeneity between affiliates, we find that the lower a subsidiary’s tax rate relative to other affiliates of the multinational group the higher is its level of intangible asset investment. This effect is statistically and economically significant, even after controlling for subsidiary size and accounting for a dynamic intangible investment pattern.

Suggested Citation

  • Dischinger, Matthias & Riedel, Nadine, 2008. "Corporate Taxes, Profit Shifting and the Location of Intangibles within Multinational Firms," Discussion Papers in Economics 4450, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenec:4450
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    Cited by:

    1. John P. Weche Geluebcke, 2011. "Foreign Ownership and Firm Performance in German Services: First Evidence based on Official Statistics," Working Paper Series in Economics 213, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    2. Rao, R. Kavita & Sengupta, D.P., 2014. "Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting: An Indian Perspective," Working Papers 14/133, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    3. John Weche Gelübcke, 2013. "The performance of foreign affiliates in German manufacturing: evidence from a new database," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 149(1), pages 151-182, March.
    4. Liberini, Federica, 2014. "Corporate Taxes and the Growth of the Firm," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1042, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    5. Dischinger, Matthias & Riedel, Nadine, 2011. "Corporate taxes and the location of intangible assets within multinational firms," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(7-8), pages 691-707, August.
    6. Giovanni Cerulli & Bianca Potì & Raffaele Spallone, 2018. "The impact of fiscal relief on multinationals business R&D investments: a cross-country analysis," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(2), pages 649-675, August.
    7. Kevin S Markle, 2012. "A Comparison of the Tax-motivated Income Shifting of Multinationals in Territorial and Worldwide Countries," Working Papers 1206, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    8. Bathusi Gabanatlhong & Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Paulinus Iyika & Miroslav Palanský, 2022. "Profit shifting by multinational corporations: Evidence from transaction-level data in Nigeria," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-36, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corporate taxation; multinational enterprise; profit shifting; intangible assets; micro level data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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