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Tax Credits and Small Firm R&D Spending

Author

Listed:
  • Ajay Agrawal
  • Carlos Rosell
  • Timothy Simcoe

Abstract

In 2004, Canada changed the eligibility rules for its Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SRED) tax credit, which provides tax incentives for R&D conducted by small private firms. Difference-in-difference estimates show a 17 percent increase in total R&D among eligible firms. The impact was larger for firms that took the tax credits as refunds because they had no current tax liability. Contract R&D expenditures were more elastic than the R&D wage bill. The response was also greater for firms that invested in R&D capital before the policy change.

Suggested Citation

  • Ajay Agrawal & Carlos Rosell & Timothy Simcoe, 2020. "Tax Credits and Small Firm R&D Spending," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:1-21
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20140467
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    Cited by:

    1. Knoll, Bodo & Riedel, Nadine & Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian & Voget, Johannes, 2021. "Cross-border effects of R&D tax incentives," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    2. Jacquelyn Pless, 2022. "To Starve or to Stoke? Understanding Whether Divestment versus Investment Can Steer (Green) Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy and the Economy, volume 2, pages 107-147, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jiayi Du & Guangjun Shen & Jingxian Zou, 2023. "Tax incentives and firm financing structures: evidence from China’s accelerated depreciation policy," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(5), pages 1346-1373, October.
    4. Mellace, Giovanni & Ventura, Marco, 2019. "Intended and unintended effects of public incentives for innovation. Quasi-experimental evidence from Italy," Discussion Papers on Economics 9/2019, University of Southern Denmark, Department of Economics.
    5. Kevin A. Bryan & Heidi L. Williams, 2021. "Innovation: Market Failures and Public Policies," NBER Working Papers 29173, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Simone Chinetti, 2023. "Investment Subsidies Effectiveness: Evidence from a Regional Program," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 723-759, July.
    7. Muraközy, Balázs & Telegdy, Álmos, 2023. "The effects of EU-funded enterprise grants on firms and workers," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 216-234.
    8. Fengfei Li & Tse‐Chun Lin, 2022. "Innovative firms’ cash holdings, tax policies, and institutional environments," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 51(3), pages 869-902, September.
    9. Mellace, Giovanni & Ventura, Marco, 2023. "The short-run effects of public incentives for innovation in Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    10. Wei Cui & Mengying Wei & Weisi Xie & Jing Xing, 2021. "Corporate Tax Cuts for Small Firms: What Do Firms Do?," CESifo Working Paper Series 9389, CESifo.
    11. Ke Ding & Helian Xu & Rongming Yang, 2021. "Taxation and Enterprise Innovation: Evidence from China’s Value-Added Tax Reform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    12. Pierre Courtioux & Antoine Reberioux & François Métivier, 2021. "The private return of R&D tax credit," Post-Print halshs-03182771, HAL.
    13. Blandinieres, Florence & Steinbrenner, Daniela, 2021. "How does the evolution of R&D tax incentives schemes impact their effectiveness? Evidence from a meta-analysis," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-020, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    14. Jun Wang & Congcong Liu & Zhuan Xie & Guangjun Shen, 2024. "Tax incentives and corporate innovation: Evidence from China's value‐added tax reform," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(1), pages 183-202, January.
    15. Huseyin Emre Sayici & Mehmet Fatih Ulu, 2023. "Economic Effects of R&D Supports," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 2308, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    16. Maximilian Gasser & Simon Pezzutto & Wolfram Sparber & Eric Wilczynski, 2022. "Public Research and Development Funding for Renewable Energy Technologies in Europe: A Cross-Country Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-28, May.
    17. Telegdy, Álmos & Tóth, Gábor, 2024. "A támogatott hitelezés hatásvizsgálata Magyarországon [Impact assessment of subsidised loans in Hungary]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 113-130.
    18. Dai, Xiaoyong & Chapman, Gary, 2022. "R&D tax incentives and innovation: Examining the role of programme design in China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    19. Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian, 2021. "Thinking outside the box: The cross-border effect of tax cuts on R&D," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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