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The Dividend Clientele Hypothesis: Evidence from the 2003 Tax Act

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  • Laura Kawano

Abstract

This paper provides evidence that dividend and capital gains tax rates importantly influence household portfolio choices. Using data from the Surveys of Consumer Finances around the 2003 dividend tax reductions, I estimate the relationship between taxes and household portfolio dividend yields. I find that a one percentage point decrease in the dividend tax rate relative to the long-term capital gains tax rate causes household portfolio dividend yields to increase by 0.04 percentage points. The results suggest that high income households significantly increased their portfolio dividend yields in response to the 2003 dividend tax rate reductions.

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  • Laura Kawano, 2014. "The Dividend Clientele Hypothesis: Evidence from the 2003 Tax Act," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 114-136, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:6:y:2014:i:1:p:114-36
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.6.1.114
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    3. Allaudeen Hameed & Jing Xie & Yuxiang Zhong, 2024. "Preferences for dividends and stock returns around the world," Working Papers 202405, University of Macau, Faculty of Business Administration.
    4. Benjamin Ching & Tayla Forward & Oscar Parkyn, 2023. "Estimating the Distribution of Wealth in New Zealand," Treasury Working Paper Series 23/01, New Zealand Treasury.
    5. Masanori Orihara, 2023. "Election-Day Market Reactions to Tax Proposals: Evidence from a Close Vote," Working Papers 2219, Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics.
    6. Hameed, Allaudeen & Xie, Jing, 2019. "Preference for dividends and return comovement," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(1), pages 103-125.
    7. Orihara, Masanori, 2024. "Election-day market reactions to tax proposals: Evidence from a close vote," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Liqun Liu & Zijun Wang, 2020. "Tax avoidance and asset returns: some theoretical results on the tax clientele effects," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(1), pages 41-49.
    9. Hoi, Chun Keung & Ke, Yun & Wu, Qiang & Zhang, Hao, 2023. "Social capital and dividend policies in US corporations," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    10. Cave, Joshua & Lancheros, Sandra, 2024. "Local peer influence on dividend payout decisions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
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    13. Bongaerts, Dion & Schoenmaker, Dirk, 2024. "Liquidity and clientele effects in green debt markets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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