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Taxing Risky Investment

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  • Devereux, Michael

Abstract

This Paper re-examines the impact of capital income taxes on the incentive to invest in the presence of risk. Specifically, it challenges a well-known claim in the literature that such a tax can leave incentives ?basically unaffected? because the tax liability is offset by a reduction in the post-tax risk of the investment. The Paper argues that this claim is based on a misinterpretation of the cost of capital, and that in general the cost of capital is not helpful in assessing investment incentives in the presence of risk. Instead it proposes an alternative measure, based on the market value of the pre-tax stochastic cash flows. This measure indicates that the disincentive effect of capital income taxes can be substantial.

Suggested Citation

  • Devereux, Michael, 2003. "Taxing Risky Investment," CEPR Discussion Papers 4053, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:4053
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    8. Bonds, Stephen R. & Devereux, Michael P., 1995. "On the design of a neutral business tax under uncertainty," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 57-71, September.
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    12. Kaplow, Louis, 1994. "Taxation and Risk Taking: A General Equilibrium Perspective," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(4), pages 789-798, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Corina Boar & Matthew P. Knowles, 2022. "Optimal Taxation of Risky Entrepreneurial Capital," NBER Working Papers 29961, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Michael P. Devereux, 2003. "Measuring Taxes on Income from Capital," CESifo Working Paper Series 962, CESifo.
    3. Panteghini, Paolo M., 2006. "S-based taxation under default risk," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(10-11), pages 1923-1937, November.
    4. Corina Boar & Matthew Knowles, 2020. "Entrepreneurship, Agency Frictions and Redistributive Capital Taxation," Discussion Paper Series, School of Economics and Finance 202004, School of Economics and Finance, University of St Andrews.
    5. Ruud Mooij & Michael Devereux, 2011. "An applied analysis of ACE and CBIT reforms in the EU," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 18(1), pages 93-120, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital income tax; investment;

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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