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Firm responses to an interest barrier: empirical evidence

Author

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  • Jarkko Harju
  • Ilpo Kauppinen
  • Olli Ropponen

Abstract

In this paper, we study the effects of an interest barrier (IB) that was introduced in Finland in 2014 to restrict the profit‐shifting opportunities of multinational enterprises (MNEs). We employ data from the Orbis database on Finnish, Swedish and Danish MNEs and a difference‐in‐differences methodology, where Swedish and Danish MNEs serve as a control group. We examine the effects of the IB on financial expenses, debt levels and overall economic activity of firms. We find that Finnish MNEs responded to the IB by decreasing their financial expenses. We also find that the most affected firms decreased their debt levels due to the reform. Our results also suggest that the financial expense response is followed by a change in the use of transfer pricing as a method to shift profits between tax jurisdictions. We do not find evidence of total output changes among treated firms, which suggests that the IB did not affect the real activity of the treated MNEs.

Suggested Citation

  • Jarkko Harju & Ilpo Kauppinen & Olli Ropponen, 2025. "Firm responses to an interest barrier: empirical evidence," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 211-237, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:fistud:v:46:y:2025:i:2:p:211-237
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-5890.12401
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    Cited by:

    1. Gideon Goerdt & Wolfgang Eggert, 2022. "Substitution across profit shifting methods and the impact on thin capitalization rules," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(3), pages 581-599, June.
    2. Christophe André & Hyunjeong Hwang, 2018. "Tax reform to support growth and employment in Finland," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1468, OECD Publishing.
    3. Zarko Y. Kalamov, 2023. "Internal debt and welfare," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 25(1), pages 196-224, February.
    4. Baumann, Alexendra & Wohlrabe, Klaus, 2019. "Publikationen von Wirtschaftsforschungsinstituten im deutschsprachigen Raum - Eine bibliometrische Analyse [Publications of Economic Research Insitutes in the German Speaking Area - A bibliometric ," MPRA Paper 92240, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Vanhala, Mikko & Viertola, Marika, 2025. "Heterogeneity in Effective Tax Rate Trends: Evidence from Finnish Corporate Tax Returns," Working Papers 174, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Ropponen, Olli, 2021. "Interest Limitation Rules and Business Cycles: Empirical Evidence," ETLA Working Papers 90, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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