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The impact of thin-capitalization rules on multinationals' financing and investment decisions

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Author Info
Büttner, Thiess
Overesch, Michael
Schreiber, Ulrich
Wamser, Georg

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the eÂŽectiveness of thin-capitalization rules in preventing debt finance by intercompany loans and explores their consequences for corporate decisions. A theoretical discussion emphasizes that limitations of the deduction of interest owed to foreign affiliates would not only affect multinationals' capital structure choice but also investment. An empirical investigation exploits a large firm-level panel dataset of multinationals in order to analyze the impact of thin-capitalization rules on capital structure choice and investment in the OECD and some further European countries in the time period between 1996 and 2004. The results indicate that thin-capitalization rules are effective in curbing tax planning via intercompany loans. However, investment is found to be adversely affected. --

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Paper provided by Deutsche Bundesbank, Research Centre in its series Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies with number 2008,03.

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Date of creation: 2008
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Handle: RePEc:zbw:bubdp1:7114

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Related research
Keywords: Corporate Income Tax; Multinationals; Leverage; Thin-Capitalization Rules; Firm-Level Data;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Capital and Ownership Structure
H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion
H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Mihir A. Desai, 2005. "The Degradation of Reported Corporate Profits," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 171-192, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  3. Paolo Panteghini, 2006. "The Capital Structure of Multinational Companies Under Tax Competition," Working Papers ubs0606, University of Brescia, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Thiess Buettner & Michael Overesch & Ulrich Schreiber & Georg Wamser, 2006. "Taxation and Capital Structure Choice – Evidence from a Panel of German Multinationals," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Jeffrey MacKie-Mason, 1988. "Do Taxes Affect Corporate Financing Decisions?," NBER Working Papers 2632, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Peralta, Susana & Wauthy, Xavier & van Ypersele, Tanguy, 2006. "Should countries control international profit shifting?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 24-37, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Huizinga, Harry & Laeven, Luc & Nicodeme, Gaetan, 2006. "Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting," CEPR Discussion Papers 5882, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Eckhard Janeba & Michael Smart, 2003. "Is Targeted Tax Competition Less Harmful than its Remedies?," Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 259-280, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Jack M. Mintz & Michael Smart, 2001. "Income Shifting, Investment, and Tax Competition: Theory and Evidence from Provincial Taxation in Canada," International Tax Program Papers 0402, International Tax Program, Institute for International Business, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, revised Apr 2003. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Jack Mintz & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2005. "Taxation and the Financial Structure of German Outbound FDI," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Auerbach, Alan J., 2002. "Taxation and corporate financial policy," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 19, pages 1251-1292 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. 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. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Thomas A. Gresik, 2001. "The Taxing Task of Taxing Transnationals," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 800-838, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Hikaru Ogawa & David Wildasin, 2007. "Think Locally, Act Locally: Spillovers, Spillbacks, and Efficient Decentralized Policymaking," Working Papers 2007-06, University of Kentucky, Institute for Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Andreas Haufler & Marco Runkel, 2008. "Firms’ Financial Choices and Thin Capitalization Rules under Corporate Tax Competition," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Overesch, Michael, 2007. "The Effects of Multinationals? Profit Shifting Activities on Real Investments," ZEW Discussion Papers 07-071, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  4. Voeller, Dennis & Overesch, Michael, 2008. "The Impact of Personal and Corporate Taxation on Capital Structure Choices," ZEW Discussion Papers 08-020, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  5. Overesch, Michael & Wamser, Georg, 2006. "German inbound investment, corporate tax planning, and thin-capitalization rules : a difference-in-differences approach," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-75, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Christos Kotsogiannis & Robert Schwager, 2006. "Fiscal Equalization and Yardstick Competition," Working Papers 2006-15, University of Kentucky, Institute for Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations. [Downloadable!]
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  7. David Wildasin, 2007. "Pre-Emption: Federal Statutory Intervention in State Taxation," Working Papers 2007-05, University of Kentucky, Institute for Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations. [Downloadable!]
  8. Georg Wamser, 2008. "The Impact of Thin-Capitalization Rules on External Debt Usage – A Propensity Score Matching Approach," Ifo Working Paper Series Ifo Working Paper No. 62, Ifo Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich. [Downloadable!]
  9. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2008. "What Problems and Opportunities are Created by Tax Havens?," Working Papers 0820, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Nadja Dwenger & Viktor Steiner, 2008. "Effective Profit Taxation and the Elasticity of the Corporate Income Tax Base: Evidence from German Corporate Tax Return Data," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 829, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  11. Schindler, Dirk & Schjelderup, Guttorm, 2008. "Multinationals, Minority Ownership and Tax-Efficient Financing Structures," Discussion Papers 2008/19, Department of Finance and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
  12. Andreas Haufler, 2007. "Sollen multinationale Unternehmen weniger Steuern bezahlen?," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 76(2), pages 8-20. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Alfons Weichenrieder & Helen Windischbauer, 2008. "Thin-Capitalization Rules and Company Responses Experience from German Legislation," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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