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The Exorbitant Tax Privilege

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Wright
  • Gabriel Zucman

Abstract

We estimate and attempt to explain the evolution of the taxes paid by U.S. multinationals on their foreign profits since 1966. In the oil sector, taxes paid to oil-producing States have been contained, allowing U.S. firms to earn high after-tax returns. Foreign taxes fell abruptly after the first Gulf War. In sectors other than oil, the effective foreign tax rate has fallen by half since the late 1990s. Almost half of this decline owes to the rise of profit shifting to tax havens. The low foreign taxes paid by U.S. multinationals can explain half of the U.S. cross-border return differential.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Wright & Gabriel Zucman, 2018. "The Exorbitant Tax Privilege," NBER Working Papers 24983, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24983
    Note: DAE IFM PE
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    Cited by:

    1. Petr Janský & Miroslav Palanský, 2019. "Estimating the scale of profit shifting and tax revenue losses related to foreign direct investment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(5), pages 1048-1103, October.
    2. Alessandro Ferrari & Sébastien Laffitte & Mathieu Parenti & Farid Toubal, 2022. "Profit Shifting Frictions and the Geography of Multinational Activity," Working Papers halshs-04103710, HAL.
    3. Woodgate, Ryan, 2021. "Profit-led in effect or in mere appearance? Estimating the Irish demand regime given the influence of multinational enterprises," IPE Working Papers 154/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    4. Mariana Colacelli & Deepali Gautam & Cyril Rebillard, 2021. "Japan’s Foreign Assets and Liabilities: Implications for the External Accounts," IMF Working Papers 2021/026, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Laura Alfaro & Ester Faia & Ruth A. Judson & Tim Schmidt-Eisenlohr, 2020. "Elusive Safety: The New Geography of Capital Flows and Risk," NBER Working Papers 27048, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Vincent Vicard, 2019. "The Exorbitant Privilege of High Tax Countries," Working Papers 2019-06, CEPII research center.
    7. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Thomas Tørsløv, 2021. "Multinational corporations and tax havens: evidence from country-by-country reporting," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(6), pages 1519-1561, December.
    8. Goldin, Ian & Koutroumpis, Pantelis & Lafond, François & Winkler, Julian, 2020. "Why is productivity slowing down?," MPRA Paper 99172, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Janský, Petr, 2024. "Profit shifting of multinational corporations worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    10. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Thomas Tørsløv, 2022. "Decomposing Multinational Corporations’ Declining Effective Tax Rates," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(2), pages 338-381, June.
    11. Duncan van Limbergen, 2020. "Revisiting the income balance. What makes EU tax havens different?," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Bridging measurement challenges and analytical needs of external statistics: evolution or revolution?, volume 52, Bank for International Settlements.
    12. Petr Janský, 2023. "Corporate Effective Tax Rates for Research and Policy," Public Finance Review, , vol. 51(2), pages 171-205, March.
    13. Weinert, Stephan & Schwarz, Christian, 2019. "Country-by-Country-Reporting und die Substanzfrage: Mitarbeiterverhältnisse als Referenzgröße," Working Paper Forschungsförderung 151, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.
    14. Ian Goldin & Pantelis Koutroumpis & François Lafond & Julian Winkler, 2024. "Why Is Productivity Slowing Down?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 196-268, March.
    15. Ryan Woodgate, 2022. "Profit-led in effect or in appearance alone? Estimating the Irish demand regime given the influence of multinational enterprises," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 319-350, July.
    16. Vincent Vicard, 2023. "Profit Shifting, Returns on Foreign Direct Investments and Investment Income Imbalances," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 71(2), pages 369-414, June.
    17. Michelle Hanlon, 2023. "The use of accounting information in the tax base in the Pillar 2 global minimum tax: a discussion of the rules, potential problems, and possible alternatives," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(1), pages 37-52, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F62 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Macroeconomic Impacts
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • N52 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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