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The case of taxing multinational corporations in Uganda: Do multinational corporations face lower effective tax rates and is there evidence for profit shifting?

Author

Listed:
  • Aliisa Koivisto
  • Nicholas Musoke
  • Dorothy Nakyambadde
  • Caroline Schimanski

Abstract

We study how large domestic firms and multinational corporations compare in their effective tax rates and whether there is evidence of profit shifting out of Uganda. Using administrative data from the Uganda Revenue Authority and regression analysis, we find that multinational corporations lower their corporate tax burden through two channels: lower effective tax rates and profit shifting. Multinational corporations pay lower effective tax rates, by approximately 20 percentage points, on their reported profits than large domestic corporations because of tax treaties and other benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Aliisa Koivisto & Nicholas Musoke & Dorothy Nakyambadde & Caroline Schimanski, 2021. "The case of taxing multinational corporations in Uganda: Do multinational corporations face lower effective tax rates and is there evidence for profit shifting?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-51, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2021-51
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Hayley Reynolds & Ludvig Wier, 2016. "Estimating profit shifting in South Africa using firm-level tax returns," WIDER Working Paper Series 128, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Giulia Mascagni & Andualem Mengistu, 2019. "Effective tax rates and firm size in Ethiopia," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(S2), pages 248-273, July.
    5. Hayley Reynolds & Ludvig Wier, 2016. "Estimating profit shifting in South Africa using firm-level tax returns," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-128, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. 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.
    7. Ludvig Wier & Hayley Reynolds, 2018. "Big and 'unprofitable': How 10 per cent of multinational firms do 98 per cent of profit shifting," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-111, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
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    Cited by:

    1. Roseline Misati & Kethi Ngoka & Anne Kamau & Maureen Odongo, 2022. "Profit shifting by multinational corporations in Kenya: The role of internal debt," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-39, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Corti Paul Lakuma & Rehema Kahunde, 2023. "Global minimum corporate income tax: Challenges and prospects for Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-137, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    Keywords

    Multinational firms; Profit shifting; Effective tax rate;
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