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Tax Policy for Innovation

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  • Bronwyn H. Hall

Abstract

A large number of countries around the world now provide some kind of tax incentive to encourage firms to undertake innovative activity. This paper presents the policy rationale for these incentives, discusses their design and potential effectiveness, and reviews the empirical evidence on their actual effectiveness. The focus is on the two most important and most studied incentives: R&D tax credits and super deductions, and IP boxes (reduced corporate taxes in income from patents and other intellectual property).

Suggested Citation

  • Bronwyn H. Hall, 2019. "Tax Policy for Innovation," NBER Working Papers 25773, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25773
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    Cited by:

    1. Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian, 2021. "Thinking outside the box: The cross-border effect of tax cuts on R&D," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    2. Yawei Qi & Wenxiang Peng & Neal N. Xiong, 2020. "The Effects of Fiscal and Tax Incentives on Regional Innovation Capability: Text Extraction Based on Python," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Bronwyn H. Hall, 2020. "Tax Policy for Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Innovation and Public Policy, pages 151-188, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Alina O. Shapovalova & Yuriy B. Ivanov & Victoriia F. Tyschenko & Vlada V. Karpova, 2021. "Assessment of the effectiveness of anti-COVID tax support for innovation activities of small and medium-sized enterprises in OECD countries," Journal of Tax Reform, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 7(1), pages 68-86.
    5. Thomas H. W. Ziesemer, 2021. "The Effects of R&D Subsidies and Publicly Performed R&D on Business R&D: A Survey," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 236(1), pages 171-205, March.
    6. Blandinieres, Florence & Steinbrenner, Daniela & Weiß, Bernd, 2020. "Which design works? A meta-regression analysis of the impacts of R&D tax incentives," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-010, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Fengfei Li & Tse‐Chun Lin, 2022. "Innovative firms’ cash holdings, tax policies, and institutional environments," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 51(3), pages 869-902, September.
    8. European Commission, 2019. "Tax Policies in the European Union: 2020 Survey," Taxation Survey 2020, Directorate General Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission.
    9. İrem Güçeri & Marko Köthenbürger & Martin Simmler, 2020. "Supporting Firm Innovation and R&D: What is the Optimal Policy Mix?," EconPol Policy Reports 20, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    10. Blandinieres, Florence & Steinbrenner, Daniela, 2021. "How does the evolution of R&D tax incentives schemes impact their effectiveness? Evidence from a meta-analysis," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-020, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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