The Capital Structure Choice and the Consumption Tax

The consumption tax affects the consumer, but also affects the wealth of the producer because of the tax incidence effect. It affects cash flows from corporate investment, bears influence on capital budgeting choices on investment timing and financing and the respective agency conflicts between shareholders and creditors. In the context of irreversible investment, our model shows that consumption taxation delays investment and precipitates default. Furthermore, we find that the consumption tax has a negative effect on the agency costs of debt, the yield spreads and the optimal leverage ratio. Finally, the model also produces implications for governmental tax policy.