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Effective Corporate Tax Rates and the Size Distribution of Firms

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  • Almas Heshmati
  • Dan Johansson
  • Carl Magnus Bjuggren

Abstract

We analyze the effects of effective corporate tax rates on the size distribution of firms. In modelling this relationship we account for conditional variables as well as unobservable time and industry effects. A number of hypotheses are tested concerning heterogeneity in the impact of effective corporate tax rates on the size distributions of firms with regard to firm size class, industry and time. The results are based on data covering the whole Swedish economy for the period 1973-2002. The descriptive results suggest that effective corporate tax rates differ by firm size, industry and over time. Application of t-tests demonstrate inequality in mean and variance of effective corporate tax rates between major size classes but not within major size classes: smaller firms report a higher effective corporate tax rate than larger firms. The t-tests also demonstrate inequality in mean and variance of effective corporate tax rates between industrial sectors: service sector reports a higher effective corporate tax rate than production sector. The regressions show effective corporate tax rates to have: a negative effect on the size distribution of large firms, negative effect on transportation, financing and service sector and a positive effect on manufacturing, electricity and on production sector. We conclude that effective corporate tax rates affect the size distribution of firms as well as the composition of industries.
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  • Almas Heshmati & Dan Johansson & Carl Magnus Bjuggren, 2010. "Effective Corporate Tax Rates and the Size Distribution of Firms," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 297-317, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:10:y:2010:i:3:p:297-317
    DOI: 10.1007/s10842-010-0085-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Gunnar Rietz & Dan Johansson & Mikael Stenkula, 2015. "Swedish Capital Income Taxation (1862–2013)," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Magnus Henrekson & Mikael Stenkula (ed.), Swedish Taxation, chapter 0, pages 123-178, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Stamatopoulos, Ioannis & Hadjidema, Stamatina & Eleftheriou, Konstantinos, 2019. "Explaining corporate effective tax rates: Evidence from Greece," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 236-254.
    3. Stamatopoulos, Ioannis & Hadjidema, Stamatina & Eleftheriou, Konstantinos, 2016. "Explaining Corporate Effective Tax Rates Before and During the Financial Crisis: Evidence from Greece," MPRA Paper 73787, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Bartha, Zoltan, 2015. "The Effect of the Tax System as an Institutional Factor on the Business Structure in Europe," MPRA Paper 68027, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 13 Sep 2015.
    5. Johansson, Dan & Stenkula, Mikael & Wykman, Niklas, 2018. "The Taxation of Private Foundations in Sweden 1862–2018," Working Paper Series 1245, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 02 Oct 2019.
    6. Niklas Elert & Dan Johansson & Mikael Stenkula & Niklas Wykman, 2023. "The evolution of owner-entrepreneurs’ taxation: five tax regimes over a 160-year period," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 517-540, April.
    7. Johansson, Dan & Stenkula, Mikael & Wykman, Niklas, 2018. "The Rise of Private Foundations as Owners of Swedish Industry: The Role of Tax Incentives 1862–2018," Working Papers 2018:10, Örebro University, School of Business.
    8. Du Rietz, Gunnar & Johansson, Dan & Stenkula, Mikael, 2014. "A 150-year Perspective on Swedish Capital Income Taxation," HUI Working Papers 101, HUI Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    composition of industries; corporate taxes; effective corporate tax rates; size distribution of firms; D21; H25; H32; L11;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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