IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfinec/v166y2025ics0304405x25000145.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The real and financial effects of internal liquidity: Evidence from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Author

Listed:
  • Albertus, James F.
  • Glover, Brent
  • Levine, Oliver

Abstract

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act unlocked as much as $1.7 trillion of U.S. multinationals’ foreign cash. We examine the real and financial response to this liquidity shock and find that firms did not increase capital expenditures, employment, R&D, or M&A, regardless of financial constraints. On the financial side, firms paid out only about one-third of the new liquidity to shareholders and retained half as cash. This high retention was not associated with poor governance. The high propensity to retain the liquidity shock as cash, even among well-governed firms with limited financial constraints, is difficult to reconcile with existing theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Albertus, James F. & Glover, Brent & Levine, Oliver, 2025. "The real and financial effects of internal liquidity: Evidence from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:166:y:2025:i:c:s0304405x25000145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2025.104006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304405X25000145
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfineco.2025.104006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy Erickson & Toni M. Whited, 2010. "Erratum: Measurement Error and the Relationship between Investment and q," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 118(6), pages 1252-1257.
    2. Gao, Huasheng & Harford, Jarrad & Li, Kai, 2013. "Determinants of corporate cash policy: Insights from private firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(3), pages 623-639.
    3. Timothy Erickson & Toni M. Whited, 2000. "Measurement Error and the Relationship between Investment and q," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(5), pages 1027-1057, October.
    4. Ivo Welch, 2004. "Capital Structure and Stock Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(1), pages 106-131, February.
    5. Heitor Almeida & Murillo Campello & Igor Cunha & Michael S. Weisbach, 2014. "Corporate Liquidity Management: A Conceptual Framework and Survey," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 135-162, December.
    6. Stein, Jeremy C, 1997. "Internal Capital Markets and the Competition for Corporate Resources," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 111-133, March.
    7. Thomas W. Bates & Kathleen M. Kahle & René M. Stulz, 2009. "Why Do U.S. Firms Hold So Much More Cash than They Used To?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(5), pages 1985-2021, October.
    8. Leigh A. Riddick & Toni M. Whited, 2009. "The Corporate Propensity to Save," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1729-1766, August.
    9. Raj Chetty & Emmanuel Saez, 2005. "Dividend Taxes and Corporate Behavior: Evidence from the 2003 Dividend Tax Cut," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(3), pages 791-833.
    10. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2024. "The consequences of the 2017 US international tax reform: a survey of the evidence," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(4), pages 1158-1178, August.
    11. Heitor Almeida & Murillo Campello, 2007. "Financial Constraints, Asset Tangibility, and Corporate Investment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 20(5), pages 1429-1460, 2007 12.
    12. John R. Graham & Mark T. Leary, 2018. "The Evolution of Corporate Cash," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 30(4), pages 36-60, December.
    13. Boris Nikolov & Toni M. Whited, 2014. "Agency Conflicts and Cash: Estimates from a Dynamic Model," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(5), pages 1883-1921, October.
    14. Christine L. Dobridge & Patrick Kennedy & Paul Landefeld & Jacob Mortenson, 2023. "The TCJA and Domestic Corporate Tax Rates," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-078, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    15. Alexander Edwards & Todd Kravet & Ryan Wilson, 2016. "Trapped Cash and the Profitability of Foreign Acquisitions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(1), pages 44-77, March.
    16. Grubert, Harry, 2003. "Intangible Income, Intercompany Transactions, Income Shifting, and the Choice of Location," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 56(1), pages 221-242, March.
    17. Roberts, Michael R. & Whited, Toni M., 2013. "Endogeneity in Empirical Corporate Finance1," Handbook of the Economics of Finance, in: G.M. Constantinides & M. Harris & R. M. Stulz (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Finance, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 493-572, Elsevier.
    18. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    19. Viral Acharya & Sergei A. Davydenko & Ilya A. Strebulaev, 2012. "Cash Holdings and Credit Risk," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(12), pages 3572-3609.
    20. Andrea Gamba & Alexander Triantis, 2008. "The Value of Financial Flexibility," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(5), pages 2263-2296, October.
    21. Denis, David J., 2011. "Financial flexibility and corporate liquidity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 667-674, June.
    22. Almeida, Heitor & Campello, Murillo & Weisbach, Michael S., 2011. "Corporate financial and investment policies when future financing is not frictionless," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 675-693, June.
    23. Opler, Tim & Pinkowitz, Lee & Stulz, Rene & Williamson, Rohan, 1999. "The determinants and implications of corporate cash holdings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 3-46, April.
    24. Begenau, Juliane & Palazzo, Berardino, 2021. "Firm selection and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(3), pages 697-718.
    25. Hanlon, Michelle & Lester, Rebecca & Verdi, Rodrigo, 2015. "The effect of repatriation tax costs on U.S. multinational investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 179-196.
    26. John R. Graham & Michelle Hanlon & Terry Shevlin & Nemit Shroff, 2017. "Tax Rates and Corporate Decision-making," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(9), pages 3128-3175.
    27. Joan Farre-Mensa & Alexander Ljungqvist, 2016. "Do Measures of Financial Constraints Measure Financial Constraints?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(2), pages 271-308.
    28. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2014. "What Do We Know about Base Erosion and Profit Shifting? A Review of the Empirical Literature," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 35, pages 421-448, December.
    29. Steven M. Fazzari & R. Glenn Hubbard & Bruce C. Petersen, 1988. "Financing Constraints and Corporate Investment," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 19(1), pages 141-206.
    30. Han, Seungjin & Qiu, Jiaping, 2007. "Corporate precautionary cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 43-57, March.
    31. Myers, Stewart C., 1984. "Capital structure puzzle," Working papers 1548-84., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    32. Viral V Acharya & Sascha Steffen, 2020. "The Risk of Being a Fallen Angel and the Corporate Dash for Cash in the Midst of COVID," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 9(3), pages 430-471.
    33. Michael W Faulkender & Kristine W Hankins & Mitchell A Petersen, 2019. "Understanding the Rise in Corporate Cash: Precautionary Savings or Foreign Taxes," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(9), pages 3299-3334.
    34. Mueller, Holger & Giroud, Xavier, 2015. "Capital and Labor Reallocation within Firms," CEPR Discussion Papers 10360, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    35. Myers, Stewart C, 1984. "The Capital Structure Puzzle," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(3), pages 575-592, July.
    36. Michael Faulkender & Mitchell Petersen, 2012. "Investment and Capital Constraints: Repatriations Under the American Jobs Creation Act," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(11), pages 3351-3388.
    37. Aydoḡan Alti, 2003. "How Sensitive Is Investment to Cash Flow When Financing Is Frictionless?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(2), pages 707-722, April.
    38. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Gabriel Zucman, 2022. "Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Reduce Profit Shifting by US Multinational Companies?," NBER Working Papers 30086, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    39. Myers, Stewart C, 1984. "The Capital Structure Puzzle," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(3), pages 575-592, July.
    40. Danny Yagan, 2015. "Capital Tax Reform and the Real Economy: The Effects of the 2003 Dividend Tax Cut," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(12), pages 3531-3563, December.
    41. John R Graham & Mark T Leary, 2018. "The Evolution of Corporate Cash," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(11), pages 4288-4344.
    42. Lee Pinkowitz & René M. Stulz & Rohan Williamson, 2016. "Do U.S. Firms Hold More Cash than Foreign Firms Do?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(2), pages 309-348.
    43. Joao F. Gomes, 2001. "Financing Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1263-1285, December.
    44. Albertus, James F. & Glover, Brent & Levine, Oliver, 2019. "Heads I win, tails you lose: Asymmetric taxes, risk taking, and innovation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 24-40.
    45. James R. Hines & Eric M. Rice, 1994. "Fiscal Paradise: Foreign Tax Havens and American Business," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(1), pages 149-182.
    46. Antonio Falato & Dalida Kadyrzhanova & Jae Sim & Roberto Steri, 2022. "Rising Intangible Capital, Shrinking Debt Capacity, and the U.S. Corporate Savings Glut," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(5), pages 2799-2852, October.
    47. José A. Azar & Jean-François Kagy & Martin C. Schmalz, 2016. "Can Changes in the Cost of Carry Explain the Dynamics of Corporate "Cash" Holdings?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(8), pages 2194-2240.
    48. Lyandres, Evgeny & Palazzo, Berardino, 2016. "Cash Holdings, Competition, and Innovation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(6), pages 1823-1861, December.
    49. Jagannathan, Murali & Stephens, Clifford P. & Weisbach, Michael S., 2000. "Financial flexibility and the choice between dividends and stock repurchases," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 355-384, September.
    50. De Simone, Lisa & Lester, Rebecca, 2018. "The Effect of Foreign Cash Holdings on Internal Capital Markets and Firm FInancing," Research Papers 3700, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    51. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:4:p:1777-1804 is not listed on IDEAS
    52. Xavier Giroud, 2013. "Proximity and Investment: Evidence from Plant-Level Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(2), pages 861-915.
    53. Dhammika Dharmapala & C. Fritz Foley & Kristin J. Forbes, 2011. "Watch What I Do, Not What I Say: The Unintended Consequences of the Homeland Investment Act," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(3), pages 753-787, June.
    54. Xavier Giroud & Holger M. Mueller, 2015. "Capital and Labor Reallocation within Firms," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(4), pages 1767-1804, August.
    55. Hyun-Han Shin & René M. Stulz, 1998. "Are Internal capital Markets Efficient?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(2), pages 531-552.
    56. Peters, Ryan H. & Taylor, Lucian A., 2017. "Intangible capital and the investment-q relation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 251-272.
    57. Charles J. Hadlock & Joshua R. Pierce, 2010. "New Evidence on Measuring Financial Constraints: Moving Beyond the KZ Index," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(5), pages 1909-1940.
    58. Lisa De Simone & Joseph D Piotroski & Rimmy E Tomy, 2019. "Repatriation Taxes and Foreign Cash Holdings: The Impact of Anticipated Tax Reform," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(8), pages 3105-3143.
    59. Xiaodan Gao & Toni M Whited & Na Zhang, 2021. "Corporate Money Demand [Financial innovation and the transactions demand for cash]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(4), pages 1834-1866.
    60. Albertus, James F. & Glover, Brent & Levine, Oliver, 2022. "Foreign investment of US multinationals: The effect of tax policy and agency conflicts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(1), pages 298-327.
    61. Duchin, Ran & Ozbas, Oguzhan & Sensoy, Berk A., 2010. "Costly external finance, corporate investment, and the subprime mortgage credit crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 418-435, September.
    62. Jennifer Blouin & Linda Krull, 2009. "Bringing It Home: A Study of the Incentives Surrounding the Repatriation of Foreign Earnings Under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 1027-1059, September.
    63. repec:bla:jfinan:v:44:y:1989:i:1:p:19-40 is not listed on IDEAS
    64. Olivier Darmouni & Lira Mota, 2024. "The Savings of Corporate Giants," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(10), pages 3024-3049.
    65. Ferreira, Miguel A. & Matos, Pedro, 2008. "The colors of investors' money: The role of institutional investors around the world," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 499-533, June.
    66. Harford, Jarrad, 2005. "What drives merger waves?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 529-560, September.
    67. Jarrad Harford, 1999. "Corporate Cash Reserves and Acquisitions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(6), pages 1969-1997, December.
    68. Fritz Foley, C. & Hartzell, Jay C. & Titman, Sheridan & Twite, Garry, 2007. "Why do firms hold so much cash? A tax-based explanation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 579-607, December.
    69. Igor Cunha & Joshua Pollet & David Denis, 2020. "Why Do Firms Hold Cash? Evidence from Demographic Demand Shifts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(9), pages 4102-4138.
    70. Hwanki Brian Kim & Woojin Kim & Mathias Kronlund, 2023. "Do Corporations Retain Too Much Cash? Evidence from a Natural Experiment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 36(7), pages 2839-2877.
    71. Jarrad Harford & Cong Wang & Kuo Zhang, 2017. "Foreign Cash: Taxes, Internal Capital Markets, and Agency Problems," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(5), pages 1490-1538.
    72. Todd A. Gormley & David A. Matsa, 2011. "Growing Out of Trouble? Corporate Responses to Liability Risk," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(8), pages 2781-2821.
    73. Laplante, Stacie K. & Nesbitt, Wayne L., 2017. "The relation among trapped cash, permanently reinvested earnings, and foreign cash," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 126-148.
    74. Steven N. Kaplan & Luigi Zingales, 1997. "Do Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivities Provide Useful Measures of Financing Constraints?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(1), pages 169-215.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amess, Kevin & Banerji, Sanjay & Lampousis, Athanasios, 2015. "Corporate cash holdings: Causes and consequences," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 421-433.
    2. Ahrends, Meike & Drobetz, Wolfgang & Puhan, Tatjana Xenia, 2018. "Cyclicality of growth opportunities and the value of cash holdings," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 74-96.
    3. Eskandari, Ruhollah & Zamanian, Morteza, 2022. "Cost of carry, financial constraints, and dynamics of corporate cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Heitor Almeida & Murillo Campello & Igor Cunha & Michael S. Weisbach, 2014. "Corporate Liquidity Management: A Conceptual Framework and Survey," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 135-162, December.
    5. Denis, David J., 2011. "Financial flexibility and corporate liquidity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 667-674, June.
    6. Albertus, James F. & Glover, Brent & Levine, Oliver, 2022. "Foreign investment of US multinationals: The effect of tax policy and agency conflicts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(1), pages 298-327.
    7. Blouin, Jennifer L. & Fich, Eliezer M. & Rice, Edward M. & Tran, Anh L., 2021. "Corporate tax cuts, merger activity, and shareholder wealth," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1).
    8. Beyer, Brooke & Downes, Jimmy & Rapley, Eric T., 2017. "Internal capital market inefficiencies, shareholder payout, and abnormal leverage," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 39-57.
    9. Hong, Liu & Liu, Shiang, 2023. "Geographic diversification and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 381-409.
    10. Begenau, Juliane & Palazzo, Berardino, 2021. "Firm selection and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(3), pages 697-718.
    11. Li, Xiafei & Luo, Di, 2020. "Increase in cash holdings of U.S. firms: The role of healthcare and technology industries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 286-298.
    12. Ryosuke Fujitani & Masazumi Hattori & Tomohide Mineyama, 2024. "Passive and Proactive Motivations of Cash Holdings," Working Papers e200, Tokyo Center for Economic Research.
    13. von Beschwitz, Bastian, 2018. "Cash windfalls and acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 287-319.
    14. John R Graham & Mark T Leary, 2018. "The Evolution of Corporate Cash," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(11), pages 4288-4344.
    15. Davide Dottori & Giacinto Micucci, 2018. "Corporate liquidity in Italy and its increase in the long recession," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(3), pages 981-1014, December.
    16. Christopher F. Baum & Mustafa Caglayan & Oleksandr Talavera, 2013. "The Effects of Future Capital Investment and R&D Expenditures on Firms' Liquidity," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 459-474, August.
    17. Favara, Giovanni & Gao, Janet & Giannetti, Mariassunta, 2021. "Uncertainty, access to debt, and firm precautionary behavior," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 436-453.
    18. Sai Ding & Minjoo Kim & Xiao Zhang, 2021. "New Insight on Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity," Working Papers 2021_16, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    19. Weiping Hu & Xiao Zhang & Ye He, 2024. "Cash flow sensitivity of cash: when should we use it to measure financial constraints?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 637-682, February.
    20. Sun, Wenyi & Yin, Chao & Zeng, Yeqin, 2023. "Precautionary motive or private benefit motive for holding cash: Evidence from CEO ownership," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA); Corporate liquidity; Corporate cash holdings; Corporate income tax; Multinational corporations; Worldwide tax system; Repatriation tax;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:166:y:2025:i:c:s0304405x25000145. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505576 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.