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The Tax-Rate Elasticity of Local Business Profits

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  • Frank M. Fossen
  • Viktor Steiner

Abstract

Local business profits respond to local business tax (LBT) rates that vary across municipalities. We estimate that a one percent increase in the LBT rate decreases the LBT base by 0.45 percent, based on the universe of German LBT return files, which include corporations and unincorporated businesses. However, the fiscal equalization scheme largely compensates municipalities for the loss in the LBT base when they increase the LBT rate. Our estimates suggest that using taxrevenue data instead of tax return data, as commonly done in the literature, results in a significant bias of the elasticity away from zero.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank M. Fossen & Viktor Steiner, 2014. "The Tax-Rate Elasticity of Local Business Profits," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1424, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1424
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Blesse, Sebastian & Doerrenberg, Philipp & Rauch, Anna, 2019. "Higher taxes on less elastic goods? Evidence from German municipalities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 165-186.
    3. Langenmayr, Dominika & Simmler, Martin, 2021. "Firm mobility and jurisdictions’ tax rate choices: Evidence from immobile firm entry," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    4. Raju Mainali, 2021. "Spatial Fiscal Interactions in Colombian Municipalities: Evidence from Oil Price Shocks," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Langer, Sebastian & Korzhenevych, Artem, 2018. "The effect of industrial and commercial land consumption on municipal tax revenue: Evidence from Bavaria," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 279-287.
    6. Helmut Bester & Matthias Dahm, 2018. "Credence Goods, Costly Diagnosis and Subjective Evaluation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(611), pages 1367-1394, June.
    7. Hattendorff, Christian, 2014. "Natural resources, demand for external finance and financial development," Discussion Papers 2014/33, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    8. Krapf, Matthias & Staubli, David, 2025. "Regional variations in corporate tax responsiveness: Evidence from Switzerland," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    9. Giacomo Corneo, 2015. "Income inequality from a lifetime perspective," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 42(2), pages 225-239, May.
    10. Reingewertz, Yaniv, 2018. "Corporate taxes and vertical tax externalities: Evidence from narrative federal tax shocks," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 84-97.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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