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Income Shifting Incentives and Tax Haven Utilization: Evidence from Multinational U.S. Firms

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  • Richardson, Grant
  • Taylor, Grantley

Abstract

This paper examines the association between a series of income shifting incentives including multinationality, transfer pricing aggressiveness, thin capitalization, intangible assets and tax haven utilization. Our empirical analysis is based on a sample of 286 multinational U.S. firms over the 2006–2012 period (2002 firm-years). Our regression results show that multinationality, transfer pricing aggressiveness, thin capitalization and intangible assets are positively associated with tax haven utilization. Our results are consistent based on several robustness checks.

Suggested Citation

  • Richardson, Grant & Taylor, Grantley, 2015. "Income Shifting Incentives and Tax Haven Utilization: Evidence from Multinational U.S. Firms," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 458-485.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:accoun:v:50:y:2015:i:4:p:458-485
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intacc.2015.10.001
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    3. Mostafa Monzur Hasan & Ahsan Habib & Nurul Alam, 2021. "Asset Redeployability and Corporate Tax Avoidance," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(2), pages 183-219, June.
    4. Nor Shaipah Abdul Wahab, 2016. "Malaysian multinational companies (MNC): Permanent and temporary nature of tax planning," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1248644-124, December.
    5. Argilés-Bosch, Josep M. & Somoza, Antonio & Ravenda, Diego & García-Blandón, Josep, 2020. "An empirical examination of the influence of e-commerce on tax avoidance in Europe," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    6. Eulaiwi, Baban & Khalaf, Nihad Shareef & Al-Hadi, Ahmed & Duong, Lien & Taylor, Grantley, 2024. "Money laundering governance and income shifting: Evidence from Australian financial institutions," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    7. Ricardo Santos & Samuel Pereira & Elísio Brandão, 2016. "Transfer Pricing Aggressiveness And Financial Derivatives Practices: Empirical Evidences From United Kingdom," FEP Working Papers 583, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    8. Ali Ahmed & Chris Jones & Yama Temouri, . "The relationship between MNE tax haven use and FDI into developing economies characterized by capital flight," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    9. K. V. Mukundhan & Sreevas Sahasranamam & James J. Cordeiro, 2019. "Corporate investments in tax havens: evidence from India," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(5), pages 360-388, November.
    10. Paulina Sutrisno & Sidharta Utama & Ancella Anitawati Hermawan & Eliza Fatima, 2022. "Founder and Descendant vs. Professional CEO: Does CEO Overconfidence Affect Tax Avoidance in the Indonesia Case?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, December.
    11. Abdullah Almutairi & Baban Eulaiwi & Robert Evans & Grantley Taylor, 2023. "Tax Haven Use and Related‐Party Transactions: Evidence from Australia," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(4), pages 352-374, December.
    12. Jones, Chris & Temouri, Yama & Cobham, Alex, 2018. "Tax haven networks and the role of the Big 4 accountancy firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 177-193.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income shifting; Tax havens; Multinationality; Transfer pricing; Thin capitalization; Intangible assets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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