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The corporate tax, apportionment rules and employment: Evidence using policy discontinuity at U.S. state borders

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  • Kakpo, Eliakim

Abstract

A recent set of empirical works highlights a puzzling asymmetric response of labor market outcomes to the corporate tax. This paper explores a potential source of this disparity, using differentials in profit accounting rules across U.S. states. I exploit policy discontinuities at state borders by pairing counties in states featuring a tax change with their contiguous counterparts in control states. I notice that corporate tax cuts do not boost employment while tax hikes reduce job creation. The incidence of tax increases on employment seems limited in states with a single sales factor apportionment formula and pronounced in states that use a triple factor apportionment rule. I present a basic conceptual framework that explains this pattern.

Suggested Citation

  • Kakpo, Eliakim, 2018. "The corporate tax, apportionment rules and employment: Evidence using policy discontinuity at U.S. state borders," MPRA Paper 94875, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:94875
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Keywords: Tax incidence; Profit-shifting; Corporate tax; Profit apportionment; Employment.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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