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Territoriality, Worldwide Principle, and Competitiveness of Multinationals: A Firm-level Analysis of Tax Burdens

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  • Giorgia Maffini

    (Centre for Business Taxation, University of Oxford)

Abstract

Using consolidated firm-level accounting data for about 3,400 companies in 15 OECD countries from ORBIS (2003-2007), this paper compares the tax burden of companies headquartered in worldwide countries with that of companies headquar- tered in territorial countries. The tax burden is measured by a marginal effective tax rate (METR) and, employing a new methodology, by a marginal e ective tax base (METB) which controls for statutory corporate tax rates. A higher METR for entities headquartered in worldwide jurisdictions is explained by higher corporate statutory tax rates rather than by the difference in the taxation of foreign profits. The METB of companies headquartered in worldwide countries is not statistically different from that of companies headquartered in territorial countries. Using corporate presence in tax havens, the paper also investigates the vulnerability of territorial jurisdictions to tax avoidance. The results show that offshore low-tax operations reduce the METR and the METB of multinationals more in territorial systems than in worldwide systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Giorgia Maffini, 2012. "Territoriality, Worldwide Principle, and Competitiveness of Multinationals: A Firm-level Analysis of Tax Burdens," Working Papers 1210, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    • Handle: RePEc:btx:wpaper:1210
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Devereux, Michael P. & Fuest, Clemens & Lockwood, Ben, 2015. "The taxation of foreign profits: A unified view," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 83-97.
    2. Dominika Langenmayr & Li Liu, 2020. "Where Does Multinational Profit Go with Territorial Taxation? Evidence from the UK," CESifo Working Paper Series 8047, CESifo.
    3. Langenmayr, Dominika & Liu, Li, 2023. "Home or away? Profit shifting with territorial taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Thornton Matheson & Victoria Perry & Chandara Veung, 2014. "Territorial versus worldwide corporate taxation: Implications for developing countries," Chapters, in: Richard M. Bird & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), Taxation and Development: The Weakest Link?, chapter 5, pages 147-169, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporation Income Tax; Multinationals; Territoriality; Worldwide Principle; Profit Shifting; Tax Avoidance; Tax Havens;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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