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Effects of an Equalization Tax on Multinational Investments and Transfer Pricing

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  • Seppo Kari
  • Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja

Abstract

This paper analyzes effects of an equalization tax on the decisions of a multinational company. An equalization tax is an extra corporation tax on dividend distributions to ensure that the underlying profit of a dividend has borne a tax in the corporate sector equal to the imputation credit given to the shareholder. An equalization tax is shown to increase incentives for home-country real and financial investments and for transfer pricing to shift taxable income even from low-tax countries to high-tax home countries of parent companies. The current EU process of exchanging imputation systems and equalization tax for classical systems may thus have adverse tax revenue effects in the countries concerned.

Suggested Citation

  • Seppo Kari & Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja, 2005. "Effects of an Equalization Tax on Multinational Investments and Transfer Pricing," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 61(1), pages 45-61, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:finarc:urn:sici:0015-2218(200503)61:1_45:eoaeto_2.0.tx_2-e
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    Cited by:

    1. Seppo Kari & Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja, 2004. "Cost of Capital for Cross-Border Investment: The Fallacy of Estonia as a Tax Haven," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 5(1), pages 28-43, December.
    2. Jarkko Harju & Seppo Kari, 2017. "Dividend Taxes and Decisions of MNEs: Evidence from a Finnish Tax Reform," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 63(1), pages 45-77.
    3. Rainer Niemann & Mariana Sailer, 2023. "Is analytical tax research alive and kicking? Insights from 2000 until 2022," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 1149-1212, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    dividend taxation; international taxation; investment incentives; transfer pricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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