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Corporate tax incentives and capital structure: New evidence from UK firm-level tax returns

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  • Devereux, Michael P.
  • Maffini, Giorgia
  • Xing, Jing

Abstract

We investigate how companies’ capital structure is affected by corporate income taxes using confidential company-level tax returns for a large sample of UK firms. Exploiting variation in companies’ marginal tax rates, we find a positive and substantial long-run tax effect on leverage. Leverage responds more to decreases in the marginal tax rate, and it responds to changes in the marginal rather than the average tax rate. Most importantly, we find that the marginal tax rate based on tax returns has greater explanatory power for companies’ leverage than the marginal tax rate based on financial statements. Our study suggests that errors in the measurement for tax incentives using financial statements could lead to underestimation of the tax effects on capital structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Devereux, Michael P. & Maffini, Giorgia & Xing, Jing, 2018. "Corporate tax incentives and capital structure: New evidence from UK firm-level tax returns," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 250-266.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:88:y:2018:i:c:p:250-266
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2017.12.004
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    3. Miglo, Anton, 2021. "A New Capital Structure Theory: The Four-Factor Model," MPRA Paper 105102, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Peter Vaz da Fonseca & Michele Nascimento Juca, 2020. "The Influence of Taxes on Foreign Direct Investment: Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 55-77.
    5. Alessandra Amendola & Marinella Boccia & Gianluca Mele & Luca Sensini, 2023. "Do fiscal policies affect the firms’ growth and performance? Urban versus rural area," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(1), pages 1-33, March.
    6. Clemens, Marius & Röger, Werner, 2024. "Rising allowances, rising rates — Can growth arise through business income tax reform despite government debt limit?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Jin, Xiaoye, 2021. "Corporate tax aggressiveness and capital structure decisions: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 94-111.
    8. Elena Alexandra Nenu & Georgeta Vintilă & Ştefan Cristian Gherghina, 2018. "The Impact of Capital Structure on Risk and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence for the Bucharest Stock Exchange Listed Companies," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-29, April.
    9. Ricca, Leandro Telles & Jucá, Michele Nascimento & Hadad Junior, Eli, 2021. "Tax benefit and bankruptcy cost of debt," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 82-92.
    10. repec:ces:ifowps:_2020 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Sobiech, Anna L. & Chronopoulos, Dimitris K. & Wilson, John O.S., 2021. "The real effects of bank taxation: Evidence for corporate financing and investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    12. Umar Farooq & Suhaib Anagreh & Mohammad Ahmad Al-Omari & Mosab I. Tabash, 2022. "Corporate Tax Rate, Financing Policy and Investment Decisions: Evidence from 8 Asian Economies," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 242(3), pages 29-51, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate taxation; Capital structure; Tax returns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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