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Profit shifting and investment effects: The implications of zero-taxable profits

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  • Koethenbuerger, Marko
  • Mardan, Mohammed
  • Stimmelmayr, Michael
Abstract
Recent empirical research documents a tendency of multinational enterprise affiliates to bunch around zero reported profit. We set up a theoretical model of multinational firm behavior in which we allow for corner solutions in the choice of the optimal transfer price due to insufficient profits or losses of affiliates. Such constraints in the choice of the transfer price induce bunching and generate investment effects in the low-tax as well as the high-tax country. In equilibrium, affiliates might overinvest and the investment effects generate a tendency for too high profit taxes. The analysis provides a micro-foundation for the investment effects that result from transfer pricing. The finding stands in contrast to the existing literature where transfer pricing choices are unconstrained.

Suggested Citation

  • Koethenbuerger, Marko & Mardan, Mohammed & Stimmelmayr, Michael, 2019. "Profit shifting and investment effects: The implications of zero-taxable profits," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 96-112.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:173:y:2019:i:c:p:96-112
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2019.01.007
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Xuyang, 2024. "The Global Minimum Tax, Investment Incentives and Asymmetric Tax Competition," MPRA Paper 121893, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Petr Procházka, 2020. "Jurisdictions with lowest effective tax rates in the post-BEPS landscape - CbCR evidence and implications," European Financial and Accounting Journal, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(1), pages 33-52.
    3. Sharma, Rishi R. & Slemrod, Joel & Stimmelmayr, Michael, 2023. "Tax losses and ex-ante offshore transfer of intellectual property," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    4. Xuyang Chen, 2024. "The Global Minimum Tax, Investment Incentives and Asymmetric Tax Competition," Papers 2409.05397, arXiv.org.
    5. Koethenbuerger, Marko & Mardan, Mohammed & Stimmelmayr, Michael, 2019. "Profit shifting and investment effects: The implications of zero-taxable profits," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 96-112.
    6. Johannesen, Niels, 2022. "The global minimum tax," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    7. S. Juranek & D. Schindler & A. Schneider, 2023. "Royalty taxation under tax competition and profit shifting," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(4), pages 1377-1412, November.
    8. Jozef Konings & Catherine Lecocq & Bruno Merlevede, 2022. "Does a tax deduction scheme matter for jobs and investment by multinational and domestic enterprises?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(4), pages 1966-1989, November.
    9. Kai Chang & Ning Lu & Ze Sheng Li & Yi Ran Wang, 2021. "The combined impacts of fiscal and credit policies on green firm's investment opportunity: Evidences from Chinese firm‐level analysis," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(7), pages 1822-1835, October.
    10. Katarzyna Bilicka & André Seidel, 2020. "Profit shifting and corruption," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(5), pages 1051-1080, October.
    11. Katarzyna Bilicka & Michael Devereux & İrem Güçeri & Katarzyna Anna Bilicka & Michael P. Devereux & Irem Guceri, 2024. "Tax Policy, Investment and Profit Shifting," CESifo Working Paper Series 11458, CESifo.
    12. Katarzyna Bilicka & Michael Devereux & Irem Güçeri, 2023. "Tax-Avoidance Networks and the Push for a “Historic” Global Tax Reform," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(1), pages 57-108.
    13. Dominika Langenmayr & Li Liu, 2020. "Where Does Multinational Profit Go with Territorial Taxation? Evidence from the UK," CESifo Working Paper Series 8047, CESifo.
    14. Diller, Markus & Lorenz, Johannes & Schneider, Georg & Sureth, Caren, 2021. "Is consistency the panacea? Inconsistent or consistent tax transfer prices with strategic taxpayer and tax authority behavior," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 264, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    15. Langenmayr, Dominika & Liu, Li, 2023. "Home or away? Profit shifting with territorial taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    16. Arnt Ove Hopland & Petro Lisowsky & Mohammed Mardan & Dirk Schindler, 2021. "Inflexibility in Income Shifting: Implications, Detection and Remedies," CESifo Working Paper Series 9384, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax competition; Profit shifting; Corporate losses; Transfer price; Bunching; Investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods

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