IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v93y2024ipbp659-672.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adjustments in VAT rates and business innovation: Empirical insights from China

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Xiufen
  • Yu, Weizhen
  • Chen, Zixuan

Abstract

China aims to alleviate corporate financial pressures and encourage high-quality economic development through initiatives such as value-added tax (VAT) rate reform. This study employs the difference-in-difference (DID) approach to investigate the effect of the 2017 VAT rate reform on corporate innovation, taking the reform as a quasi-natural experiment. We find that the VAT rate reform has significantly promoted firm innovation and that increasing profitability serves as the primary channel. The innovation-promoting effects of the VAT rate reform are most prominently seen in a number of different types of businesses: those with lower intermediate input ratios, those operating in less monopolistic industry environments, state-owned enterprises, non-exporting businesses, entities with limited financial resources, and companies located in non-eastern China. This study makes a case for tax reforms in other nations as well as a reference for China's market-oriented reform and further VAT reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Xiufen & Yu, Weizhen & Chen, Zixuan, 2024. "Adjustments in VAT rates and business innovation: Empirical insights from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 659-672.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:93:y:2024:i:pb:p:659-672
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2024.05.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056024003101
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2024.05.012?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holmstrom, Bengt, 1989. "Agency costs and innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 305-327, December.
    2. Howell, Anthony, 2016. "Firm R&D, innovation and easing financial constraints in China: Does corporate tax reform matter?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1996-2007.
    3. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    4. Fang, Hongsheng & Bao, Yuxin & Zhang, Jun, 2017. "Asymmetric reform bonus: The impact of VAT pilot expansion on China's corporate total tax burden," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(S), pages 17-34.
    5. Thorsten Beck & Ross Levine & Alexey Levkov, 2010. "Big Bad Banks? The Winners and Losers from Bank Deregulation in the United States," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(5), pages 1637-1667, October.
    6. Hongbin Cai & Qiao Liu, 2009. "Competition and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Chinese Industrial Firms," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 764-795, April.
    7. Martin Jacob & Roni Michaely & Maximilian A Müller, 2019. "Consumption Taxes and Corporate Investment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(8), pages 3144-3182.
    8. Liu, Xiufen & Fang, Hongsheng & Zhao, Lexin & Xu, Wenli, 2023. "Do VAT cuts help stabilize employment? Evidence from China’s VAT rate reform," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 190-207.
    9. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Monika Schnitzer, 2013. "Financial Constraints And Innovation: Why Poor Countries Don'T Catch Up," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 11(5), pages 1115-1152, October.
    10. Lan, Fei & Wang, Wei & Cao, Qingzi, 2020. "Tax cuts and enterprises’ R&D intensity: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 304-314.
    11. Brown, James R. & Petersen, Bruce C., 2011. "Cash holdings and R&D smoothing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 694-709, June.
    12. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    13. Jiafeng Chen & Jonathan Roth, 2024. "Logs with Zeros? Some Problems and Solutions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 139(2), pages 891-936.
    14. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Lerner, Josh, 2010. "The Financing of R&D and Innovation," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 609-639, Elsevier.
    15. Joshua D. Angrist & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 2015. "The path from cause to effect: mastering 'metrics," CentrePiece - The magazine for economic performance 442, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    16. Mary M. Crossan & Marina Apaydin, 2010. "A Multi‐Dimensional Framework of Organizational Innovation: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 1154-1191, September.
    17. Fan, Ziying & Liu, Yu, 2020. "Tax Compliance and Investment Incentives: Firm Responses to Accelerated Depreciation in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 1-17.
    18. Shao, Yuchen & Xiao, Chengrui, 2019. "Corporate tax policy and heterogeneous firm innovation: Evidence from a developing country," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 470-486.
    19. Abbasi, Kashif Raza & Hussain, Khadim & Haddad, Akram Masoud & Salman, Asma & Ozturk, Ilhan, 2022. "The role of Financial Development and Technological Innovation towards Sustainable Development in Pakistan: Fresh insights from consumption and territory-based emissions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    20. Dang, Dandan & Fang, Hongsheng & He, Minyuan, 2019. "Economic policy uncertainty, tax quotas and corporate tax burden: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.
    21. Yang, Yuxiang & Zhang, Hongyong, 2021. "The value-added tax reform and labor market outcomes: Firm-level evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    22. Liu, Duan & Zhou, Qianzhen & Chen, Shiqi & Wan, Hong & He, Hongbo, 2021. "Capital market access and innovation efficiency: A natural experiment from China’s pilot VAT reform in 2012," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 549-566.
    23. Tian, Binbin & Yu, Baixue & Chen, Shi & Ye, Jingjing, 2020. "Tax incentive, R&D investment and firm innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Xiufen & Fang, Hongsheng & Zhao, Lexin & Xu, Wenli, 2023. "Do VAT cuts help stabilize employment? Evidence from China’s VAT rate reform," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 190-207.
    2. Liu, Duan & Zhou, Qianzhen & Chen, Shiqi & Wan, Hong & He, Hongbo, 2021. "Capital market access and innovation efficiency: A natural experiment from China’s pilot VAT reform in 2012," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 549-566.
    3. He, Lerong & Jiang, Xiaozhen & Fang, Liting, 2023. "Tax policy reform and corporate innovation in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).
    4. Guariglia, Alessandra & Liu, Pei, 2014. "To what extent do financing constraints affect Chinese firms' innovation activities?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 223-240.
    5. Kong, Dongmin & Xiong, Mengxu & Qin, Ni, 2022. "Business Tax reform and CSR engagement: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Peng, Fei & Zhou, Shibiao & Zhou, Peng, 2023. "Local government fiscal stress and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1677-1695.
    7. Liu, Duan & Li, Zhiyuan & He, Hongbo & Hou, Wenxuan, 2021. "The determinants of R&D smoothing with asset sales: Evidence from R&D-intensive firms in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 76-93.
    8. Chen, Zhongfei & Xiao, Yu & Jiang, Kangqi, 2023. "The impact of tax reform on firms' digitalization in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    9. Z. Jun Lin & Shengqiang Liu & Fangcheng Sun, 2017. "The Impact of Financing Constraints and Agency Costs on Corporate R&D Investment: Evidence from China," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 17(1), pages 3-42, March.
    10. Yang Li & Yuanzhu Wang & Rajah Rasiah, 2023. "Research on the Influence of Tax Incentives and Financing Constraints on NEEQ Enterprises’ Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, February.
    11. Çağatay Bircan & Ralph De Haas, 2020. "The Limits of Lending? Banks and Technology Adoption across Russia," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(2), pages 536-609.
    12. Hanna Hottenrott & Bronwyn H. Hall & Dirk Czarnitzki, 2016. "Patents as quality signals? The implications for financing constraints on R&D," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 197-217, April.
    13. Zihan Hu & Min Wu & Dan Yang & Tao Luo & Yihao Tian, 2024. "How Resource-Exhausted Cities Get Out of the Innovation Bottom? Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, July.
    14. Fryges, Helmut & Kohn, Karsten & Ullrich, Katrin, 2011. "The Interdependence of R&D Activity and Debt Financing of Young Firms," IZA Discussion Papers 6217, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Lerner, Josh, 2010. "The Financing of R&D and Innovation," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 609-639, Elsevier.
    16. Filipe Silva & Carlos Carreira, 2012. "Do financial constraints threat the innovation process? Evidence from Portuguese firms," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(8), pages 701-736, November.
    17. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Ahmad Kaleem & Salman Zulfiqar & Umair Akram, 2019. "Innovation Investment: Behaviour Of Chinese Firms Towards Financing Sources," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(07), pages 1-29, October.
    18. Wang, Jiangyuan & Fan, Wenlin & Wang, Zhixiao, 2024. "Tax incentives and earnings management: A study based on accelerated depreciation policy in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 281-296.
    19. Zhao, Lexin & Fang, Hongsheng, 2022. "Investment incentives and the relative demand for skilled labor: Evidence from accelerated depreciation policies in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    20. Ahrends, Meike & Drobetz, Wolfgang & Puhan, Tatjana Xenia, 2018. "Cyclicality of growth opportunities and the value of cash holdings," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 74-96.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    VAT rates; R&D; Tax burden; Corporate innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:93:y:2024:i:pb:p:659-672. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620165 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.