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Corporate tax and location choice for multinational firms

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  • Lawless, Martina
  • McCoy, Daire
  • Morgenroth, Edgar L. W.
  • O’Toole, Conor M.

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of corporate tax on these location decisions of newly established multinational subsidiaries across 26 European countries over an eight year period. We contribute to the existing literature by examining the effects of a non-linear response of firm location decisions to changes in the tax rate. We also show that there are large variations in the sensitivity to tax rates across sectors and firm size groups. In particular, financial sector firms are more than twice as sensitive to changes in corporation tax rates relative to other sectors. Our baseline result is a finding that a one percent increase in the statutory or policy rate of corporation tax would lead to a reduction in the conditional location probability of 0.68 percent. Using the effective average tax rate (EATR), the marginal effect implies a reduction in the location probability of 1.15 percent following a 1 percent increase in the tax rate. Although overall tax has the expected negative effect on location probability, the marginal effect of an increase is lower at higher rates of tax.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawless, Martina & McCoy, Daire & Morgenroth, Edgar L. W. & O’Toole, Conor M., 2018. "Corporate tax and location choice for multinational firms," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 85973, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:85973
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/85973/
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    3. Ronald B. Davies & Iulia Siedschlag & Zuzanna Studnicka, 2021. "The impact of taxes on the extensive and intensive margins of FDI," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(2), pages 434-464, April.
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    5. Fischer, Leonie & Heckemeyer, Jost H. & Spengel, Christoph & Steinbrenner, Daniela, 2021. "Tax policies in a transition to a knowledge-based economy: The effective tax burden of companies and highly skilled labour," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-096, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Siedschlag, Iulia & McLoughlin, Robert & Daire De Hora, 2023. "The impact of the global tax reforms on Ireland’s corporate investment and the wider economy," Papers WP761, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    7. Bergin, Adele & Curristan, Sarah & Farrell, Niall & Laurence, James & Lynch, Muireann Á. & McGinnity, Frances & McGuinness, Seamus & Russell, Helen & Smyth, Emer, 2022. "Scoping papers for research on ‘The economic and social opportunities from increased cooperation on the Shared Island'," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT112.
    8. Athiphat Muthitacharoen, 2023. "Location Choice And Tax Responsiveness Of Foreign Multinationals: Evidence From Asean Countries," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 68(01), pages 217-242, March.
    9. Nicodeme Gaetan & Caiumi Antonella & Majewski Ina, 2018. "What Happened to CIT Collection? Solving the Rates-Revenues Puzzle," Taxation Papers 74, Directorate General Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission.
    10. Ronald B. Davies & Neill Killeen, 2018. "The Effect of Tax Treaties on Market Based Finance: Evidence using Firm-Level Data," Working Papers 201818, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    11. Eichfelder, Sebastian & Kluska, Mike & Knaisch, Jonas & Selle, Juliane, 2021. "Senkung der Unternehmenssteuerlast versus Förderung von Investitionen: Was ist die bessere Strategie zur Förderung der Standortattraktivität Deutschlands?," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 266, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    12. Siedschlag, Iulia & Yan, Weijie, 2021. "Enhancing the attractiveness of the all-island economy to high-value sectors," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS133.
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    14. Anatolijs Prohorovs, 2023. "Re-Export: Assessing the Impact of Re-Export Companies on Sectors and the Economy," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-25, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corporate tax; location choice; multinational firms; FDI;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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