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Company Tax Coordination cum Tax Rate Competition in the European Union

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  • Wolfgang Eggert
  • Andreas Haufler

Abstract

This paper reviews the recent theoretical literature that analyses the European Union’s policy to eliminate preferential corporate tax regimes and the proposal to introduce a consolidated EU tax base with formula apportionment for the taxation of multinational firms. Since neither proposal includes a harmonisation of corporate tax rates, a core issue is how tax competition between member states will be affected by these partial coordination measures. The conclusions from our review are supportive of the EU’s ban on preferential tax regimes, but the economic incentive effects of a switch to formula apportionment are found to be ambiguous.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfgang Eggert & Andreas Haufler, 2006. "Company Tax Coordination cum Tax Rate Competition in the European Union," ifo Working Paper Series 28, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifowps:_28
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Birch Sørensen, 2006. "Can Capital Income Taxes Survive? And Should They?," EPRU Working Paper Series 06-06, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    2. Nadine Riedel, 2011. "Taxing multi-nationals under union wage bargaining," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 18(4), pages 399-421, August.
    3. Alfons Weichenrieder, 2009. "Profit shifting in the EU: evidence from Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 16(3), pages 281-297, June.
    4. Egger, Peter & Eggert, Wolfgang & Winner, Hannes, 2010. "Saving taxes through foreign plant ownership," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 99-108, May.
    5. K. Van Cauter & L. Van Meensel, 2007. "Recent trends in corporate income tax," Economic Review, National Bank of Belgium, issue i, pages 61-75, June.
    6. Egger, Peter & Eggert, Wolfgang & Keuschnigg, Christian & Winner, Hannes, 2010. "Corporate taxation, debt financing and foreign-plant ownership," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 96-107, January.
    7. Narcis Eduard Mitu, 2009. "Tax Competition – Areas of Display and Effects," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 67-76.
    8. Céline Azémar & Gregory Corcos, 2009. "Multinational Firms’ Heterogeneity in Tax Responsiveness: The Role of Transfer Pricing," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9), pages 1291-1318, September.
    9. Marcin Piatkowski & Mariusz Jarmuzek, 2008. "Zero Corporate Income Tax in Moldova: Tax Competition and Its Implications for Eastern Europe," IMF Working Papers 2008/203, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Satoshi Kasamatsu & Hikaru Ogawa, 2020. "International capital market and repeated tax competition," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(3), pages 751-768, June.
    11. Hulya Celebi & Sabina Hodžić, 2017. "The Impact of Corporate Income Tax on R&D of Multinational Entities: An Impact Analysis of Separate Taxation and CCCTB," European Financial and Accounting Journal, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2017(3), pages 17-31.
    12. Haufler, Andreas, 2006. "Die Besteuerung multinationaler Unternehmen," Discussion Papers in Economics 1153, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    13. Peter Birch Sørensen, 2006. "Can Capital Income Taxes Survive? And Should They?," CESifo Working Paper Series 1793, CESifo.
    14. C. Dembour, 2008. "Competition for Business Location: A Survey," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 89-111, June.
    15. Florian Baumann & Tim Friehe, 2013. "Profit Shifting Despite Symmetric Tax Rates? A Note on the Role of Tax Enforcement," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 97-108, March.
    16. Koffie Ben Nassar, 2008. "Corporate Income Tax Competition in the Caribbean," IMF Working Papers 2008/077, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Narcis Eduard MITU, 2008. "Direct Taxation - Directions of Harmonization," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 3(36), pages 1407-1411, May.
    18. Liliana Donath & Mariana Slavin, 2009. "Tax competition and foreign direct investments. Is there a connection?," Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 56, pages 117-132, November.
    19. Ludger Schuknecht & Vincent Siegerink, 2021. "The Political Economy of the International Tax Transparency Agenda in the G20/OECD Context," CESifo Working Paper Series 8813, CESifo.

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    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods

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