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Profit Taxation, Innovation and the Financing of Heterogeneous Firms

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  • Christian Keuschnigg
  • Evelyn Ribi

Abstract

Credit constraints are more frequent among growth companies with large investment opportunities. For the same reason, profit taxes may harm innovative firms more than standard ones. This paper develops a model of heterogeneous firms where an endogenous share opts for innovation and faces credit constraints in the subsequent expansion phase. We emphasize four results: (i) R&D subsidies not only encourage innovation but also relax finance constraints and help innovative firms to exploit investment opportunities to a larger extent. (ii) Taxes which are neutral in a neoclassical world, still restrict expansion investment of constrained firms by reducing free cash-flow and thereby discourage innovation. (iii) A revenue neutral increase in profit taxes to finance larger R&D subsidies redistributes towards innovative firms and boosts aggregate productivity and welfare. (iv) A revenue neutral tax cut cum base broadening policy similarly boosts innovation and welfare

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Keuschnigg & Evelyn Ribi, 2010. "Profit Taxation, Innovation and the Financing of Heterogeneous Firms," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-01, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    • Handle: RePEc:usg:dp2010:2010-01
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    Cited by:

    1. Busom, Isabel & Corchuelo, Beatriz & Martinez Ros, Ester, 2012. "Tax incentives or subsidies for R&D?," MERIT Working Papers 2012-056, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Peter Egger & Christian Keuschnigg, 2015. "Innovation, Trade, and Finance," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 121-157, May.
    3. Busom, Isabel & Corchuelo, Beatriz & Martínez Ros, Ester, 2011. "Tax incentives and direct support for R&D : what do firms use and why?," INDEM - Working Paper Business Economic Series id-11-03, Instituto para el Desarrollo Empresarial (INDEM).
    4. Christian Keuschnigg & Evelyn Ribi, 2010. "Business Taxation, Corporate Finance and Economic Performance," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-04, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    5. Christian Keuschnigg, 2010. "Die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung des Accounting," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-03, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    6. Ioannis Bournakis & Sushanta Mallick & David Kernohan & Dimitris A.Tsouknidis, 2013. "Measuring Firm-Level Productivity Convergence in the UK: The Role of Taxation and R&D Investment," Working Papers 45, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    7. Isabel Busom & Beatriz Corchuelo & Ester Martínez-Ros, 2014. "Tax incentives… or subsidies for business R&D?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 571-596, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Profit taxes; R&D subsidies; innovation; investment; credit constraints;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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