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The Taxman calls. How does Facebook answer? Global Effects of Taxation on Online Advertising

Author

Listed:
  • Angel Cuevas

    (Universidad Carlos III Madrid)

  • Ruben Cuevas

    (Universidad Carlos III Madrid)

  • Andrea Lassmann

    (KOF, ETH Zurich)

  • Federica Liberini

    (KOF, ETH Zurich)

  • Antonio Russo

    (KOF, ETH Zurich)

Abstract

We study the effects of the taxation of digital platforms on the online advertising market. We exploit novel data on daily unit prices of Facebook ads targeted to country-specific audiences, collected around a major change in the firm's accounting practices following the introduction of the UK Diverted Profit Tax. We show that a substantial increase in ads prices followed such change, although with heterogeneous intensity across countries. These results are in line with a model of a platform operating in the global advertising market. We show that taxation of profits generated in one country makes the price charged to advertisers from that country (resp. other countries) increase (decrease). Accordingly, we demonstrate that aggregate advertising prices in OECD countries increased more, after the policy change, the larger is the market share of UK-based advertisers.

Suggested Citation

  • Angel Cuevas & Ruben Cuevas & Andrea Lassmann & Federica Liberini & Antonio Russo, 2017. "The Taxman calls. How does Facebook answer? Global Effects of Taxation on Online Advertising," Working Papers 17-09, NET Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:net:wpaper:1709
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Marko Köthenbürger, 2020. "Taxation of Digital Platforms," EconPol Working Paper 41, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax incidence; digital economy; online advertising;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

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