How does the opportunity to use tax havens influence economic activity in nearby non-haven countries? Analysis of affiliate-level data indicates that American multinational firms use tax haven affiliates to reallocate taxable income away from high-tax jurisdictions and to defer home country taxes on foreign income. Ownership of tax haven affiliates is associated with reduced tax payments by nearby non-haven affiliates, the size of the effect being equivalent to a 20.8 percent tax rate reduction. The evidence also indicates that use of tax havens indirectly stimulates the growth of operations in non-haven countries in the same region. A one percent greater likelihood of establishing a tax haven affiliate is associated with 0.5 to 0.7 percent greater sales and investment growth by non-haven affiliates, implying a complementary relationship between haven and non-haven activity. The ability to avoid taxes by using tax haven affiliates therefore appears to facilitate economic activity in non-haven countries within regions.
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Length: Date of creation: Oct 2004 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10806
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Find related papers by JEL classification: H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
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Roger H. Gordon & John D. Wilson, 2001.
"Expenditure Competition,"
NBER Working Papers
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James R. Hines Jr., 2005.
"Do Tax Havens Flourish?,"
NBER Chapters,
in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 19, pages 65-100
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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