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Real Responses to Anti-tax Avoidance: Evidence from the UK Worldwide Debt Cap

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  • Bilicka, Katarzyna
  • Xing, Jing
  • Qi, Yaxuan

Abstract

We analyze how multinational firms reallocate real operations and debt across their affiliates in response to anti-tax avoidance policies. The UK introduced a worldwide debt cap in 2010, generating a quasi-natural experiment that limited interest deductibility for a group of multinational firms. We find that multinationals affected by the reform reduced the amount of debt held in the UK and increased debt held abroad. Affected multinationals reallocated a share of their real operations away from the UK. Our findings provide causal evidence for tax-motivated debt and real activity reallocation within multinationals and show how multinationals can circumvent tax avoidance regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Bilicka, Katarzyna & Xing, Jing & Qi, Yaxuan, 2021. "Real Responses to Anti-tax Avoidance: Evidence from the UK Worldwide Debt Cap," CEPR Discussion Papers 16068, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16068
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    2. Hutahean, Timbul Parasian & Hermawan, Wawan & Kharisma, Bayu & Hasanah, Alfiah, 2024. "Debt and debt tax benefit: Evidence from Indonesia debt-to-equity cap reform," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    3. Katarzyna Bilicka & Evgeniya Dubinina & Petr Janský, 2022. "Fiscal consequences of corporate tax avoidance," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-97, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Amendolagine, Vito & Bruno, Randolph Luca & Cipollina, Maria & De Pascale, Gianluigi, 2023. "Minimum Global Tax: Winners and Losers in the Race for Mergers and Acquisitions," IZA Discussion Papers 16144, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Margarita Lopez-Forero, 2024. "Aggregate Labor Share and Tax Havens: Things are not always what they seem," Working papers 982, Banque de France.
    6. Emilio Abad-Segura & Francisco José Castillo-Díaz & Nathalie Hernández-Pérez & Luis J. Belmonte-Ureña, 2025. "Technological integration and tax compliance: a quantitative evaluation of fraud detection efficiency in judicial tax proceedings in EU member States," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 493-522, August.
    7. Sónia Cabral & Joana Garcia & Raquel Miranda & Susana Peralta & João Pereira dos Santos, 2024. "Treasure Islands, Real Jobs? Workers and Anti-Avoidance Policies in a Tax Paradise," Working Papers w202416, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    8. Triadi Agung Sudarto & Dodik Juliardi, 2022. "The effect of perceptions on tax evasion and tax sanction on ethical behaviour of accounting student compliance," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 11(10), pages 206-216, December.
    9. McCartney, Gerry & Hill O'Connor, Clementine & Laughlin, Sue & Robertson, Tony & Bunse, Lukas & Crighton, Matthew & McLeod, Aileen & Cochrane, Phoebe & Stuart, Francis & Black, Iain & McMaster, Robert, 2025. "Evidence review to support the development of a Wellbeing Economy strategy in Scotland," Working Paper Series 01/2025, Post-Growth Economics Network (PEN).
    10. Bilicka, Katarzyna & Scur, Daniela, 2024. "Organizational capacity and profit shifting," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    11. Katarzyna Bilicka, 2025. "Labor market consequences of antitax avoidance policies," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 32(2), pages 429-465, April.
    12. Xue, Mantian, 2024. "Did the anti-avoidance rules curtail the profit shifting of foreign multinationals in China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Muhan Wang & Kezhong Zhang & Sihan Gao, 2024. "Does Information Exchange Affect Cross‐border Tax Avoidance? Evidence from the Common Reporting Standard," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 32(4), pages 179-228, July.
    14. Katarzyna Bilicka & Danjue Clancey-Shang & Yaxuan Qi, 2024. "Long-Term Orientation and Tax Avoidance Regulations," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, March.
    15. Jaqueline Hansen & Valeria Merlo & Georg Wamser, 2023. "Taxes, Profit Shifting, and the Real Activities of MNEs: Evidence from Corporate Tax Notches," CESifo Working Paper Series 10593, CESifo.
    16. Katarzyna A. Bilicka & André Seidel, 2022. "Measuring Firm Activity from Outer Space," NBER Working Papers 29945, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Souillard, Baptiste, 2022. "Corporate tax cuts and firm employment: A match made in haven?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    18. Margarita Lopez Forero & Benjamin Michallet, 2024. "Employment Effects of a Weakening in European Anti-Tax Avoidance Rules: evidence from France," Working Papers 021, EU Tax Observatory.
    19. Katarzyna Bilicka & Michael Devereux & Irem Güçeri, 2023. "Tax-Avoidance Networks and the Push for a “Historic” Global Tax Reform," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(1), pages 57-108.
    20. Bilicka, Katarzyna & Clancey-Shang, Danjue & Qi, Yaxuan, 2022. "Tax avoidance regulations and stock market responses," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • 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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