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Measuring misalignment: The location of US multinationals’ economic activity versus the location of their profits

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  • Alex Cobham
  • Petr Janský

Abstract

A major international effort—the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative—aims to reduce the extent of misalignment between the profits of multinational groups, and the location of their real economic activity. This article uses survey data on the international operations of US‐headquartered multinational groups to show major misalignments of profit. A small number of “profit‐haven” jurisdictions are seen to have captured a disproportionate share of total profits, resulting in serious disadvantages for most countries, regardless of income level.

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  • Alex Cobham & Petr Janský, 2019. "Measuring misalignment: The location of US multinationals’ economic activity versus the location of their profits," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(1), pages 91-110, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:37:y:2019:i:1:p:91-110
    DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12315
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    1. Petr Janský & Miroslav Palanský, 2019. "Estimating the scale of profit shifting and tax revenue losses related to foreign direct investment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(5), pages 1048-1103, October.
    2. Petr Janský, 2020. "European banks and tax havens: evidence from country-by-country reporting," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(54), pages 5967-5985, November.
    3. Steens, Bert & Roques, Thibaut & Gonnet, Sébastien & Beuselinck, Christof & Petutschnig, Matthias, 2022. "Transfer pricing comparables: Preferring a close neighbor over a far-away peer?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    4. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Thomas Tørsløv, 2021. "Multinational corporations and tax havens: evidence from country-by-country reporting," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(6), pages 1519-1561, December.
    5. Petr Janský & Jan Láznička & Miroslav Palanský, 2021. "Tax treaties worldwide: Estimating elasticities and revenue foregone," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 359-401, May.
    6. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Janský, Petr, 2024. "Profit shifting of multinational corporations worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Thomas Tørsløv, 2022. "Decomposing Multinational Corporations’ Declining Effective Tax Rates," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(2), pages 338-381, June.
    8. Alex Cobham & Petr Janský & Chris Jones & Yama Temouri, . "An evaluation of the effects of the European Commission's proposals for the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    9. Sarah Godar & Giulia Aliprandi & Tommaso Faccio & Petr Janský & Katia Toledo Ruiz, 2024. "The long way to tax transparency: lessons from the early publishers of country-by-country reports," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(2), pages 593-634, April.
    10. Schulte Sasse, Katharina & Watrin, Christoph & Weiß, Falko, 2020. "The alignment between reported profits and real activity in times of the BEPS Action Plan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    11. Nouf Binhadab & Robert Gillanders & Thomas McCluskey, 2023. "A clean and discreet service: The role of corruption and secrecy in profit shifting by multinational firms," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1551-1573, October.
    12. Mr. Shafik Hebous & Mr. Alexander D Klemm & Yuou Wu, 2021. "How Does Profit Shifting Affect the Balance of Payments?," IMF Working Papers 2021/041, International Monetary Fund.
    13. Swati Verma, . "Intrafirm trade and tax haven linkages: Evidence from Indian manufacturing," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    14. Alex Cobham & Tommaso Faccio & Javier Garcia‐Bernardo & Petr Janský & Jeffery Kadet & Sol Picciotto, 2022. "A Practical Proposal to end Corporate Tax Abuse: METR, a Minimum Effective Tax Rate for Multinationals," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(1), pages 18-33, February.
    15. Sheila Killian & Philip O'Regan & Ruth Lynch & Martin Laheen & Dionysios Karavidas, 2022. "Regulating havens: The role of hard and soft governance of tax experts in conditions of secrecy and low regulation," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 722-737, July.
    16. Danuse Nerudova & Veronika Solilova & Marek Litzman & Petr Janský, 2020. "International tax planning within the structure of corporate entities owned by the shareholder‐individuals through Panama Papers destinations," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(1), pages 124-139, January.
    17. Cobham, Alex & Faccio, Tommaso & FitzGerald, Valpy, 2019. "Global inequalities in taxing rights: An early evaluation of the OECD tax reform proposals," SocArXiv j3p48, Center for Open Science.
    18. Petr Janský, 2023. "Corporate Effective Tax Rates for Research and Policy," Public Finance Review, , vol. 51(2), pages 171-205, March.
    19. Woodgate, Ryan, 2021. "Multinational corporations and commercialised states: Can state aid serve as the basis for an FDI-driven growth strategy?," IPE Working Papers 161/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    20. Petr Janský & Miroslav Palanský, 2019. "Estimating the scale of profit shifting and tax revenue losses related to foreign direct investment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(5), pages 1048-1103, October.

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