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The Tax Elasticity of Financial Statement Income: Implications for Current Reform Proposals

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  • Dhammika Dharmapala

Abstract

Current reform proposals in international and corporate tax (most notably the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Global Anti-Base Erosion proposal) envisage taxing financial statement income. This paper develops a conceptual framework, based on the literature on the elasticity of taxable income (ETI), for the welfare analysis of such proposals and discusses the available evidence on the tax elasticity of financial statement income. The central conclusion is that the most relevant evidence suggests a large responsiveness of financial statement income to taxes (and, hence, albeit with significant limitations and caveats, arguably a large deadweight loss). The paper also highlights the need for more evidence on this question.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhammika Dharmapala, 2020. "The Tax Elasticity of Financial Statement Income: Implications for Current Reform Proposals," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 73(4), pages 1047-1064, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:73:y:2020:i:4:p:1047-1064
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2020.4.06
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dharmapala, Dhammika & Riedel, Nadine, 2013. "Earnings shocks and tax-motivated income-shifting: Evidence from European multinationals," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 95-107.
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    4. Emmanuel Saez & Joel Slemrod & Seth H. Giertz, 2012. "The Elasticity of Taxable Income with Respect to Marginal Tax Rates: A Critical Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 3-50, March.
    5. Raj Chetty, 2009. "Is the Taxable Income Elasticity Sufficient to Calculate Deadweight Loss? The Implications of Evasion and Avoidance," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 31-52, August.
    6. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2014. "What Do We Know about Base Erosion and Profit Shifting? A Review of the Empirical Literature," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 35, pages 421-448, December.
    7. Dhaliwal, Dan & Wang, Shiing-wu, 1992. "The effect of book income adjustment in the 1986 alternative minimum tax on corporate financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 7-26, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luca Menicacci, 2022. "Financial reporting and book-tax conformity: A review of the issues," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(1), pages 41-77.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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