Capital Structure Choices and Taxes: Evidence from the Australian Dividend Imputation Tax System

The introduction in 1987 of a dividend imputation tax system in Australia represented a significant change to the tax framework. To the extent that tax incentives influence the use of debt financing, changes in tax laws that alter these incentives will lead to changes in corporate capital structures. This paper examines the changes in corporate capital structure around the introduction of a dividend imputation tax system. The introduction of dividend imputation provides an incentive for firms to (a) reduce the level of debt financing utilized where this incentive varies across firms depending on the firm’s effective corporate tax rate, and (b) increase the level of external equity financing. The results present evidence consistent with these incentives.     

The economic consequences of corporate tax rates reductions in the EU: Evidence using a computable general equilibrium model

In a globalised world, governments are eager to attract foreign investors by lowering corporate tax rates. Recent trends point towards a revival of a race to the bottom in corporate income tax (CIT) rates in developed economies. EU countries have been active in this respect. A generalised fall in CIT rate could prove detrimental to tax revenues and trigger increase in other taxes to meet fiscal policy objectives. However, it could also spur investment and growth and prove to be a good fiscal policy strategy if, as a result, the corporate tax base increases. The final economic and fiscal impact of a reduction in CIT rates is therefore unclear. Using a CGE model, we find that uncoordinated tax reforms significantly impact national economies and third‐country effects can be significant when large countries implement CIT rate cuts. Small countries are better off unilaterally reducing their CIT rate at the expense of other EU countries. We find that negative spillovers are mitigated when the country reducing its CIT rate restores its budget balance by cutting either public expenditures or social transfers. A larger degree of non‐EU capital mobility also tends to reduce the negative spillover effects of unilateral CIT rate reductions.     

Economic Integration,Corporate Tax Incidence and Fiscal Compensation

Higher corporate taxes are often argued to depress wages (a tax incidence effect), while higher wages may require compensation via lower corporate tax rates (a fiscal compensation effect). Yet, existing empirical evidence ignores that (i) both effects are likely to occur simultaneously (necessitating a joint estimation approach), and (ii) capital mobility might play a critical moderating role for the strength of both effects. Using a panel data set comprising 24 OECD countries over the period 1982–2007, we address both these deficiencies. This clearly illustrates the simultaneous existence of tax incidence and fiscal compensation effects. Moreover, capital mobility (and the ensuing relative bargaining power of economic agents) has a significant influence on both the prevalence and strength of these effects.     

我国地方政府间税收竞争研究：2006-2011年

本文以资源流动模型为理论基础，以我国30个省级政府2006-2011年的财政收入以及地方税种为对象，运用空间面板德宾模型实证研究了地方政府间税收竞争存在性和竞争类型问题，研究结果表明：第一，地方政府间无论在财政总收入还是具体地方税种上都存在空间竞争关系；第二，地方政府间在增值税和企业所得税两种地方税上存在策略互补的竞争类型，而在其他税种上存在策略替代的竞争类型；第三，人口特征变量、就业率变量、固定资产投资率变量、城镇化率变量以及对外开放水平变量对特定或所有地方税税负水平有显著影响。     

Fiscal consolidation with tax evasion and corruption

Cross-country evidence highlights the importance of tax evasion and corruption in determining the size of fiscal multipliers. We introduce these two features in a New Keynesian model and revisit the effects of fiscal consolidations. VAR evidence for Italy suggests that spending cuts reduce tax evasion, while tax hikes increase it. In the model, spending cuts induce a reallocation of production towards the formal sector, thus reducing tax evasion. Tax hikes increase the incentives to produce in the less productive shadow sector, implying higher output and unemployment losses. Corruption further amplifies these losses by requiring larger hikes in taxes to reduce debt. We use the model to assess the recent fiscal consolidation plans in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Our results corroborate the evidence of increasing levels of tax evasion during these consolidations and point to significant output and welfare losses, which could be reduced substantially by combating tax evasion and corruption.     

破解财政分税制改革难题的逆向思维——三级政府三级财政三级分税

我国实施财政分税制,是适应政治、经济、财政等大环境,深化改革的必然结果和正确选择。1994年实行分税制,划分了中央与地方之间的财权,并希望通过逐步深化改革来解决省以下各级的财力分配问题。十余年过去了,省以下的分税制改革没有取得任何实质性进展,由此导致非规范化运作的负作用逐步放大。分税制改革无法深化,是因为遭遇到在现有体制下无法破解的“难题”。要解开这一“难题”,必须进行体制创新,将五级政府、五级财政“扁平化”为三级。中央、省、县三级政府三级财政三级分税,是我国分税制的出路,也有利于解决我国政府体制、财政体制中诸多深层次问题。     

中国地方政府财政赤字成因分析

基于1996—2010年中国大陆省级政府的相关数据,利用面板模型,对地方政府财政赤字成因进行分析。结果显示,对于东中西部三个地区来讲,中央政府对地方政府的财力性转移支付、中央政府对地方政府的专项转移支付、地方政府预算内非税收入、地方政府预算外非税收入和地方政府各税种收入对地方政府财政赤字的影响程度和方向具有差异性。要缩减地方政府财政赤字规模,需完善财力性转移支付制度等相关财税制度。     

Insights on Tax Evasion Using a Monetary Circuit Model

The paper analyses the impact of tax evasion on government budgets, using a monetary circuit model. It is possible to show that, under specific parameter values, evading taxes on profit becomes an attractive proposition when government policies tax capital and employment in different ways and on different timescales. Without adequate tax enforcement, government is reduced to acting as a financial backer for companies. Furthermore, a lower tax rate on labour income enabling money to flow from households to companies through private consumption reduces incentives for tax evasion. These results hold true even if the government decides to implement a balanced budget fiscal policy.     

税收竞争与市场分割

财政分权背景下,财权、事权和财力的不匹配使得地方政府采取策略性行为是其作为理性决策人的应然选择,地方政府往往会基于经济增长和税收双重目标而利用税收工具开展税收竞争,进而造成市场分割等问题。考虑到空间依赖性的存在,本文采用动态空间杜宾模型来考察税收竞争与市场分割之间的关系。研究发现,“为税收而竞争”在地方政府间存在,而竞争导致的税负下降将加剧市场分割;从分税种来看,所得税对市场分割的直接效应显著负相关,但三大税种的空间溢出效应并不明显;从时空异质性上看,地方政府的策略性行为在时序和区域上有所差异;市场分割敏感程度在时序上动态调整,区域内协同效应有待增强。为避免地方政府税收竞争恶化、异化和宏观福利损失,需要重视由此导致的市场分割的治理,建立现代化财政体制,深化税收制度改革,打造服务型地方政府等,这些也都是构筑国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的基础性支撑。     

转轨制国家国内横向资本税竞争的模型分析

本文分析了转轨制国家国内地方政府间的资本税竞争,认为一定条件下的地方政府间资本税竞争可以在一定程度上提高全国居民的福利水平;不过,经济转轨初期的各地方政府似乎更愿意采取协同一致的税收政策,因为实行这样的税收政策对地方政府的自身利益较为有利。     

Endogenous cyclical corporate tax burden in China: The role of tax quotas and growth targets

Using data from China Annual Survey of Industrial Firms and addressing potential endogeneity problem, we find that corporate tax burden in China is procyclical during recessions and countercyclical during booms. The cyclicality is stronger for enterprises whose corporate income taxes are levied by Local Tax Bureau (LTB). Procyclicality of corporate tax burden during recessions is larger for enterprises located in county, non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), non-high-tech enterprises and large-medium enterprises. Furthermore, tax quotas and growth targets of local governments enhance procyclicality during recessions and the countercyclicality of corporate tax burden during booms. Tax collection and government spending are important channels through which tax quotas and growth targets affect the cyclicality of corporate tax burden, respectively. This paper provides important policy implications for China during economic recessions.     

Neuregelung des bundesstaatlichen Finanzausgleichs: Umverteilungs- und Verbleibseffekte

The paper explores effects of the revision of the system of fiscal equalisation in Germany as recently agreed upon by the federal and state governments. More specifically, using a simulation analysis, it explores the distribution of gains and losses associated with changes in horizontal and vertical fiscal flows. In addition, the paper determines the degree of fiscal redistribution. While the degree of fiscal redistribution is found to be reduced for major revenue sources, local tax revenues are subject to much higher redistribution than under the status quo. Increases in local tax revenues might even result in total revenue losses for some states.     

Does Trade Liberalisation Trigger Tax Competition? Theory and Evidence from OECD Countries

This paper aims at assessing the empirical relevance of new economic geography models of tax competition. We rely on a simple model to specify tax reactions functions, which we estimate with a panel covering (up to) 26 OECD countries over the period 1982 to 2006. We provide striking support for the two main predictions regarding the slope and the constant of the reaction function: national governments seem to adjust their corporate tax rate towards the level chosen in countries that are more populated, and they tend to set higher corporate tax rates when their country enjoys a high real market potential. Through the latter effect, trade integration exerts a positive influence on the level of corporate taxation. However, using a theoretically grounded index of bilateral trade integration, we also show that trade liberalisation gives rise to significant tax interactions in the setting of effective average tax rates in the case of European countries, thus exerting a downward pressure on corporate tax rates.     

PUBLIC CAPITAL,TAXATION AND ENDOGENOUS GROWTH IN A FINITE HORIZONS MODEL

This paper presents development of an endogenously growing finite horizons model with public capital, and investigates macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy and a change in life expectancy. Specifically regarding novel results, a growth‐maximizing income tax rate exists that is less than the elasticity of public capital to output. In addition, in the model with income tax financing, there might exist an inverted‐U‐shaped relationship between life expectancy and growth, which is consistent with some empirical evidence. In this paper, we elucidate the interaction among public capital accumulation, taxes, growth, welfare and life expectancy.     

从财税政策角度分析中小企业融资难的问题

中小企业对国民经济和社会发展具有重要的战略意义。受金融危机影响,中小企业融资难严重制约其发展。目前,中小企业融资现状为企业税费负担加重、资金来源渠道狭窄、融资成本相对较高和信用担保体系不完善等。现行财政政策对中小企业融资主要存在财政扶持机制运作不畅、税收政策优惠力度不够、政府采购倾斜力度小及税收政策激励性不足等约束。有效解决中小企业融资难困境,政府应发挥采购的引导作用,加大财政扶持投入和结构性减税力度,完善担保机构风险补偿机制。     

Tax competition,imperfect capital mobility and the gain from non-preferential agreements

The gain to competing governments from entering into binding non-preferential tax agreements (that prevents discriminatory taxation in favor of mobile capital) depends on the extent of capital mobility between jurisdictions. In particular the gain is increasing in the cost of relocation of capital and the fraction of the domestic tax base which is relatively immobile. We show this in a symmetric model of tax competition between two governments where all capital is imperfectly mobile and differ only in their cost of relocation.     

Effects of local fiscal policy on firm profitability

For decades, scholars and policy-makers have been interested in how fiscal policy influences entrepreneurship. Until now, research has focused on fiscal policy at the federal or regional level and used macro-economic outcome measures. Considerably less attention was given to how municipal governments can influence economic outcomes at the micro level. The present study examines the effect of municipal taxes, spending and tax compliance costs on firm profitability within the Flemish hospitality industry. This is an interesting research setting, since Flemish municipalities have far-ranging fiscal autonomy which has resulted in a proliferation of local taxes, many of which are specific to the hospitality industry. The findings reveal that local taxes have a negative impact on firm profitability, while aggregate public spending has a positive influence. The tax effect is economically relevant and exceeds the public spending impact. Finally, we find no impact of compliance costs from local taxes.     

东北老工业基地财政投融资激励政策研究

振兴东北老工业基地财政投融资激励政策包括政策目标和政策工具,政策目标包括最终目标和具体目标,政策工具包括存量国有资本增值融资政策、投资返还政策、比例补助政策、税收优惠政策、财政贴息政策和鼓励贷款政策。存量国有资本增值融资政策适合于各阶段,投资返还、比例补助和税收优惠政策适合于外部支持阶段,财政贴息、鼓励贷款和比例补助政策适合于自助为主阶段。此外还应该制定六项相关的配套政策。     

基于财政分权的地方住房保障财政供给能力实证研究

住房保障是政府的重要责任,受到政治、经济和社会多种因素影响,以财政分权因素为例,分析发现：我国分税制改革尚未形成激励地方政府自觉增加住房保障财政供给的机制,现行财政分权模式不利于增强地方政府住房保障供给能力。今后需要结合分税制改革,明确中央和地方各级政府的住房保障责任,并将其作为财政投入的依据,结合我国住房保障供给与城镇化进程、城镇贫困和低收入人群的住房保障需求,合理规划和制定住房保障政策,增加财政投入,提高供给水平。     

Übernivellierung der Einnahmen aus der Grunderwerbsteuer im künftigen Finanzausgleich

Fiscal Equalisation in Germany provides substantial fiscal redistribution between federal and state and among state governments. However, there is also a degree of tax autonomy for the individual German states. Since 2007, states can adjust their local rate of the Real Estate Transfer Tax. However, if they keep the rate low, they may suffer revenue losses due to fiscal redistribution. The paper considers whether this effect will also be present in the new rules for fiscal equalization which will come in to effect in 2020.