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Extending taxation of interest and royalty income at source: An option to limit base erosion and profit shifting?

Author

Listed:
  • Finke, Katharina
  • Fuest, Clemens
  • Nusser, Hannah
  • Spengel, Christoph
Abstract
This paper discusses tax policy measures to reduce corporate tax avoidance by extending taxation in the source country without imposing double taxation. We focus on four options: Bilaterally restricting interest and royalty deductibility, introducing an inverted tax credit system, levying withholding taxes on all interest and royalty payments and levying withholding taxes as an anti-avoidance regulation. We calculate the tax revenue effects of introducing a minimum withholding tax on royalty payments and an inverted tax credit. For the withholding tax we find that the US would suffer the greatest tax revenue losses, while some other countries would increase their tax revenue. In general, gains and losses depend not only on net balances in royalty income flows but also on withholding tax and credit rules under the status quo. The inverted tax credit would increase tax revenue in particular in high-tax countries. Revenue redistribution would only arise if withholding taxes were replaced by the inverted credit.

Suggested Citation

  • Finke, Katharina & Fuest, Clemens & Nusser, Hannah & Spengel, Christoph, 2014. "Extending taxation of interest and royalty income at source: An option to limit base erosion and profit shifting?," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-073, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:14073
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Sijbren Cnossen, 2018. "Corporation taxes in the European Union: Slowly moving toward comprehensive business income taxation?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(3), pages 808-840, June.
    2. 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.
    3. Wolfgang Schön & Dennis Klein & Markus Kerber & Martin Ruf & Tanja Kroh & Katharina Finke & Christoph Spengel & Andreas Oestreicher, 2015. "EU-Aktionsplan zur Unternehmensbesteuerung: Ein Weg zu größerer Fairness und Effizienz in der Steuerpolitik?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 68(15), pages 03-21, August.
    4. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CPB Discussion Paper 324, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CPB Discussion Paper 324.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    6. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CESifo Working Paper Series 5790, CESifo.
    7. Steffen Juranek & Dirk Schindler & Guttorm Schjelderup, 2018. "Transfer pricing regulation and taxation of royalty payments," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 20(1), pages 67-84, February.
    8. Wolfram F. Richter, 2022. "Granting Market Countries the Right to Tax Profit without Physical Nexus," CESifo Working Paper Series 9556, CESifo.
    9. Juranek, Steffen & Schindler, Dirk & Schjelderup, Guttorm, 2016. "Taxing Royalty Payments," Discussion Papers 2016/16, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    10. Bodo Knoll & Nadine Riedel, 2020. "Patent Shifing and Anti-Tax Avoidance Legislation," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 17(04), pages 25-29, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    profit shifting; multinational firm; source taxation; tax policy; tax reform; optimal taxation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • K34 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Tax Law

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