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Tax Compliance and Investment Incentives: Firm Responses to Accelerated Depreciation in China

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  • Fan, Ziying
  • Liu, Yu

Abstract

We evaluate the effects of a Chinese accelerated depreciation policy that occurred in 2014 on firm investment. We present three findings. First, on average, the policy increased firms’ investment in eligible capital, especially the purchase of equipment and machines. Second, the policy effects are stronger for larger firms, firms with more cash, and firms with better access to finance, which tend to be less financially constrained but have better tax compliance. Third, the effect magnitude increases with imputed county tax enforcement but decreases with provincial tax fraud rate. These results shed light on the importance of improving tax compliance in making tax incentives effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Fan, Ziying & Liu, Yu, 2020. "Tax Compliance and Investment Incentives: Firm Responses to Accelerated Depreciation in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 1-17.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:176:y:2020:i:c:p:1-17
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2020.04.024
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    Cited by:

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    3. E. Mark Curtis & Daniel G. Garrett & Eric C. Ohrn & Kevin A. Roberts & Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, 2021. "Capital Investment and Labor Demand," NBER Working Papers 29485, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Chen, Xiaoxiong & He, Feng & Liu, Guanchun & Ye, Yongwei, 2022. "The effect of downstream expansion on upstream employment: Quasi-natural experimental evidence from China’s Accelerated Depreciation Policy," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
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    10. Cui, Wei & Hicks, Jeffrey & Xing, Jing, 2022. "Cash on the table? Imperfect take-up of tax incentives and firm investment behavior," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    11. Qianbin Feng & Lexin Zhao & Mingxue Xu, 2023. "Tax Incentives and Maturity Mismatch between Investment and Financing: Evidence from China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 31(4), pages 1-36, July.
    12. Xiang, Junyi & Zhu, Ling & Kong, Dongmin, 2023. "Labor cost and corporate tax avoidance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 338-358.
    13. Dongmin Kong & Mengxu Xiong & Ni Qin, 2023. "Tax incentives and firm pollution," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(3), pages 784-813, June.
    14. Li, Bing & Liu, Chang & Sun, Stephen Teng, 2021. "Do corporate income tax cuts decrease labor share? Regression discontinuity evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    15. 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.
    16. Lexin Zhao & Hongsheng Fang, 2022. "Investment incentives and leverage: Evidence from China’s accelerated depreciation policy," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(11), pages 3625-3649, November.
    17. ORIHARA Masanori & SUZUKI Takafumi, 2021. "Windfalls? Costs and Benefits of Investment Tax Incentives due to Financial Constraints," Discussion papers 21087, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    18. Guanchun Liu & Jianbo Song & Chengsi Zhang, 2022. "Fiscal transfers and economic convergence: Evidence from China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(9), pages 2924-2949, September.
    19. Tang, Meili & Wang, Yu, 2022. "Tax incentives and corporate social responsibility: The role of cash savings from accelerated depreciation policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    20. 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.
    21. Li, Xing & Shen, Guangjun, 2023. "Tax incentives and the financialization of the real sector: Evidence from the accelerated depreciation policy in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    22. Zeng, Jing & Chan, Kam C., 2023. "The tax incentives and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of an accelerated depreciation tax policy for fixed assets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    23. Feng, Chen & Ye, Yongwei & Tao, Yunqing, 2022. "Tax Authority Enforcement and Corporate Social Security Contributions: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    24. Zhao, Lexin & Fang, Hongsheng, 2022. "Investment incentives and the relative demand for skilled labor: Evidence from accelerated depreciation policies in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax compliance; Tax incentives; Accelerated depreciation; Firm investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis

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