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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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    Cited by:

    1. Bilicka, Katarzyna & Scur, Daniela, 2024. "Organizational capacity and profit shifting," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    2. 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.
    3. 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).
    4. 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.
    5. 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).
    6. Katarzyna Anna Bilicka & André Seidel, 2022. "Measuring Firm Activity from Outer Space," CESifo Working Paper Series 9701, CESifo.
    7. Katarzyna Bilicka, 2021. "Labor Market Consequences of Antitax Avoidance Policies," Upjohn Working Papers 21-354, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    8. Katarzyna Bilicka & Danjue Clancey-Shang & Yaxuan Qi, 2024. "Long-Term Orientation and Tax Avoidance Regulations," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, March.
    9. 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.
    10. Souillard, Baptiste, 2022. "Corporate tax cuts and firm employment: A match made in haven?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    11. 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).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Debt shifting; Multinational companies; Capital reallocation;
    All these keywords.

    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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