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Organizational capacity and profit shifting

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  • Scur, Daniela
  • Bilicka, Katarzyna
Abstract
Good organizational capacity drives productivity and \textit{potential} taxable profits, but may also enable multinationals (MNEs) to more efficiently re-allocate profits across tax jurisdictions, lowering \textit{actual} taxable profits. We show that MNE subsidiaries with better organizational capacity report significantly lower profits and have a higher incidence of bunching around zero reported profitability in high-tax countries. This pattern is not not present in low-tax countries. Further, responsiveness to corporate tax rate changes in terms of profit reporting is driven by firms with good organizational capacity. We show our results are consistent with profit-shifting behavior and rule out key alternative channels.

Suggested Citation

  • Scur, Daniela & Bilicka, Katarzyna, 2021. "Organizational capacity and profit shifting," CEPR Discussion Papers 16502, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16502
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Manon Francois & Vincent Vicard, 2023. "Tax Avoidance and the Complexity of Multinational Enterprises," Working Papers 2023-04, CEPII research center.
    3. Daniela Scur & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen & Renata Lemos & Nicholas Bloom, 2021. "The World Management Survey at 18: lessons and the way forward," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 37(2), pages 231-258.
    4. Katarzyna Bilicka & Evgeniya Dubinina & Petr Janský, 2022. "Fiscal consequences of corporate tax avoidance," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-97, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Katarzyna Anna Bilicka & André Seidel, 2022. "Measuring Firm Activity from Outer Space," CESifo Working Paper Series 9701, CESifo.
    6. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Profit shifting; Organizational capacity; Monitoring practices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management
    • M2 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics

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