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How Much Do Taxes Discourage Incorporation?

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  • Mackie-Mason, Jeffrey K
  • Gordon, Roger H

Abstract

The double taxation of corporate income should discourage firms from incorporating. The authors investigate the extent to which the aggregate allocation of assets and taxable income in the United States between corporate and noncorporate firms responds to the size of this tax distortion during the period 1959-86. In theory, profitable firms should shift out of the corporate sector when the tax distortion is large, and conversely for firms with tax losses. The authors' empirical results provide strong support for these forecasts and imply that the resulting excess burden equals 16 percent of business tax revenue. Copyright 1997 by American Finance Association.

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  • Mackie-Mason, Jeffrey K & Gordon, Roger H, 1997. "How Much Do Taxes Discourage Incorporation?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 477-505, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:52:y:1997:i:2:p:477-505
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    JEL classification:

    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics
    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making
    • H - Public Economics

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