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At A Cost: the Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations

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  • Ruud A. de Mooij
  • Ms. Li Liu

Abstract

Unilateral adoption of transfer pricing regulations may have a negative impact on real investment by multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper uses a quasi-experimental research design, exploiting unique panel data on domestic and multinational companies in 27 countries during 2006-2014, to find that MNC affiliates reduce their investment by over 11 percent following the introduction of transfer pricing regulations. There is no significant reduction in total investment by the MNC group, suggesting that these investments are most likely shifted to affiliates in other countries. The impact of transfer pricing regulations corresponds to an increase in the ``TPR-adjusted'' corporate tax rate by almost one quarter.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruud A. de Mooij & Ms. Li Liu, 2018. "At A Cost: the Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations," IMF Working Papers 2018/069, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2018/069
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    2. Lassmann, Andrea & Liberini, Federica & Russo, Antonio & Cuevas, Ángel & Cuevas, Rubén, 2025. "Global spillovers of taxation in the online advertising market. Theory and evidence from facebook," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    3. Albertus, James F. & Glover, Brent & Levine, Oliver, 2019. "Heads I win, tails you lose: Asymmetric taxes, risk taking, and innovation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 24-40.
    4. de Mooij, Ruud & Liu, Li, 2021. "At a cost: The real effects of thin capitalization rules," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    5. Joana Andrade Vicente, . "Arguments for implementing formulary apportionment in the European Union," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    6. Gauß, P. & Kortenhaus, M. & Riedel, N. & Simmler, M., 2024. "Leveling the playing field: Constraints on multinational profit shifting and the performance of national firms," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    7. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Janský, Petr, 2024. "Profit shifting of multinational corporations worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    8. Zheng, Jiaxing & Bai, Sida & Gu, Cheng & Huang, Bihui & Xiong, Mengxu, 2024. "The role of anti-tax avoidance in tax base flow and international tax competition," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Langenmayr, Dominika & Liu, Li, 2023. "Home or away? Profit shifting with territorial taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    WP; parent company; cost of capital; gross investment; tax rate; profit shifting; foreign direct investment; corporate tax policy; multinational firms; MNC investment; company group; investment response; ratio variable; MNC group; Transnational corporations; Transfer pricing rules; Corporate income tax; Transfer pricing; Thin capitalization rules; Global;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

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