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Taxation and Dividend Policy: The Muting Effect of Agency Issues and Shareholder Conflicts

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  • Martin Jacob
  • Roni Michaely

Abstract

Using proprietary data on the entire spectrum of ownership structure and exact tax status of investors and firms, we examine how dividend taxation affects payout. Utilizing an exogenous shock to dividend taxation, we show that absent any frictions, dividend taxation has a large impact on payout. As agency issues and shareholder conflicts increase, owners’ tax preferences have significantly smaller impact on payout. Three mechanisms reduce the dividend-tax sensitivity: Coordination among owners, heterogeneity in tax preferences, and diverging objectives between managers and owners. Altogether, taxation has a first-order impact on payout, but agency issues and shareholder conflicts mute its impact substantially.Received June 20, 2016; editorial decision January 24, 2017 by Editor Francesca Cornelli.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Jacob & Roni Michaely, 2017. "Taxation and Dividend Policy: The Muting Effect of Agency Issues and Shareholder Conflicts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(9), pages 3176-3222.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rfinst:v:30:y:2017:i:9:p:3176-3222.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hillmann, Lisa, 2023. "Dividend taxation and the ownership structure of private firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Luca Spataro & Tommaso Crescioli, 2024. "How much capital should be taxed? A review of the quantitative and empirical literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1399-1436, September.
    3. Mehrmann, Annika & Sureth-Sloane, Caren, 2017. "Tax loss offset restrictions and biased perception of risky investments," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 222, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    4. David Eberhardt & Nils Linnemann & Martin Thomsen, 2019. "Die Einführung von § 8b Abs. 4 KStG – Eine ökonomische Analyse potentieller Ausweichreaktionen [The Introduction of Sec. 8b (4) Corporate Income Tax Act—An Economic Analysis of Potential Avoidance ," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 71(3), pages 271-311, November.
    5. María Belén Lozano & Félix J. López‐Iturriaga & Victor Hugo Braz‐Bezerra, 2021. "Regulatory Dualism as an Alternative Trust‐Enhancing Mechanism for Dividends and Debt: Evidence from Brazil," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 121-144, March.
    6. Adrien Matray & Charles Boissel, 2020. "Higher Dividend Taxes, No Problem! Evidence from Taxing Entrepreneurs in France," Working Papers 276, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    7. Barros, Victor & Verga Matos, Pedro & Miranda Sarmento, Joaquim, 2020. "What firm’s characteristics drive the dividend policy? A mixed-method study on the Euronext stock exchange," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 365-377.
    8. Katarzyna A. Bilicka & Irem Guceri & Evangelos Koumanakos, 2022. "Dividend Taxation and Firm Performance with Heterogeneous Payout Responses," NBER Working Papers 30808, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Thomas Bauer & Thomas Kourouxous & Peter Krenn, 2018. "Taxation and agency conflicts between firm owners and managers: a review," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 11(1), pages 33-76, February.
    10. Josephat Lotto, 2020. "Towards Extending Dividend Puzzle Debate: What Motivates Distribution of Corporate Earnings in Tanzania?," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, March.
    11. Balachandran, Balasingham & Nguyen, Justin Hung, 2018. "Does carbon risk matter in firm dividend policy? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in an imputation environment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 249-267.
    12. Lepetit, L. & Meslier, C. & Strobel, F. & Wardhana, L., 2018. "Bank dividends, agency costs and shareholder and creditor rights," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 93-111.
    13. Golubov, Andrey & Lasfer, Meziane & Vitkova, Valeriya, 2020. "Active catering to dividend clienteles: Evidence from takeovers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(3), pages 815-836.
    14. Woei-Chyuan Wong & Sharmilawati Sabki & Angappan Regupathi & Syed Mohd. Na’im Syed Salim, 2019. "Malaysian SMEs’ Liability Structure and Its Impact on Profitability and Growth," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 15(2), pages 77-94.
    15. Yu, Xin & Wang, Yuetang & Chen, Yingrun & Wang, Guojun, 2021. "Dividend payouts and catering to demands: Evidence from a dividend tax reform," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    16. Millar, Melanie I. & White, Roger M., 2024. "Do residential property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing programs affect local house price growth?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    17. Jacob, Martin, 2021. "Dividend taxes, employment, and firm productivity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    18. Petutschnig, Matthias & Rünger, Silke, 2017. "The effects of a tax allowance for growth and investment: Empirical evidence from a firm-level analysis," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 221, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    19. DeYoung, Robert & Jang, Karen Y., 2023. "Testing dividend tax theory: Firm and industry heterogeneity," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    20. Berzins, Janis & Bøhren, Øyvind & Stacescu, Bogdan, 2019. "Dividends and taxes: The moderating role of agency conflicts," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 583-604.
    21. Sabrina T. Howell & Filippo Mezzanotti, 2019. "Financing Entrepreneurship through the Tax Code: Angel Investor Tax Credits," NBER Working Papers 26486, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Justin Hung Nguyen & Buhui Qiu, 2022. "The effect of skilled labor intensity on corporate dividend payouts," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(5-6), pages 963-1010, May.
    23. Shu Zhang & Peimin Chen & Chunchi Wu, 2024. "Optimal dividend decisions with capital infusion in a dynamic nonterminal bankruptcy model," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 911-951, April.
    24. Abdul Moin & Yilmaz Guney & Izidin El Kalak, 2020. "The effects of ownership structure, sub-optimal cash holdings and investment inefficiency on dividend policy: evidence from Indonesia," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 857-900, October.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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