IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v13y2023i1p21582440231155413.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Governmental Tax Reliefs for Investment Lead to Investment Efficiency and Sustainability for SMEs? Evidence From South Korea

Author

Listed:
  • Hyeongtae Cho
  • SungMan Yoon

Abstract

Tax credits for investment in productivity enhancement facilities, R&D facilities, and employment-creating initiatives are available to corporate taxpayers in Korea. These incentives are intended to motivate corporations to invest by providing financial support to improve their efficiency and help sustain their survival. This study aims to analyze whether corporations that claim investment tax credits (ITCs) in Korea actually achieve investment efficiency and increase corporate value. This study’s results are as follows. First, based on the statistical analysis of samples from small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and all corporations, we find empirical evidence that investments through claimed tax credits are inefficient from the standpoint of Tobin’s Q . This finding may be interpreted to mean that corporate taxpayers, including SMEs, consider tax savings more than investment efficiency in claiming ITCs. Second, in testing the investment efficiency for each ITC, we find that SMEs’ investment via employment-creating ITCs is more efficient than other investments with tax credits. This finding implies that SMEs should not only invest in physical facilities, but also retain human resources for sustainability. These results provide policy implications that employment creation should be considered when granting ITCs for SMEs’ efficient investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyeongtae Cho & SungMan Yoon, 2023. "Do Governmental Tax Reliefs for Investment Lead to Investment Efficiency and Sustainability for SMEs? Evidence From South Korea," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:13:y:2023:i:1:p:21582440231155413
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440231155413
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440231155413
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440231155413?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Biddle, Gary C. & Hilary, Gilles & Verdi, Rodrigo S., 2009. "How does financial reporting quality relate to investment efficiency?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2-3), pages 112-131, December.
    2. Michael Salinger & Lawrence H. Summers, 1983. "Tax Reform and Corporate Investment: A Microeconometric Simulation Study," NBER Chapters, in: Behavioral Simulation Methods in Tax Policy Analysis, pages 247-288, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Pham, Anh, 2020. "Effects of temporary corporate income tax cuts: Evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Cummins, Jason G. & Hassett, Kevin A. & Hubbard, R. Glenn, 1996. "Tax reforms and investment: A cross-country comparison," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1-2), pages 237-273, October.
    5. Hines, James R. & Park, Jongsang, 2019. "Investment ramifications of distortionary tax subsidies," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 36-51.
    6. Egger, Peter H. & Erhardt, Katharina & Keuschnigg, Christian, 2020. "Heterogeneous tax sensitivity of firm-level investments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 512-538.
    7. J. Bradford De Long & Lawrence H. Summers, 1991. "Equipment Investment and Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 445-502.
    8. Sen, Partha & Turnovsky, Stephen J., 1990. "Investment tax credit in an open economy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 277-299, August.
    9. Nada Eissa & Jeffrey B. Liebman, 1996. "Labor Supply Response to the Earned Income Tax Credit," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 605-637.
    10. Matthew D. Shapiro & Christopher L. House, 2006. "Phased-In Tax Cuts and Economic Activity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(5), pages 1835-1849, December.
    11. Goolsbee, Austan, 2003. "Investment Subsidies and Wages in Capital Goods Industries: To the Workers Go the Spoils?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 56(1), pages 153-165, March.
    12. Hayashi, Fumio, 1982. "Tobin's Marginal q and Average q: A Neoclassical Interpretation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(1), pages 213-224, January.
    13. Lyon, Andrew B., 1989. "The effect of the investment tax credit on the value of the firm," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 227-247, March.
    14. Auerbach, Alan J. & Hassett, Kevin, 1992. "Tax policy and business fixed investment in the United States," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 141-170, March.
    15. Dary, Stanley K. & James, Harvey S., 2019. "Does investment in trade credit matter for profitability? Evidence from publicly listed agro-food firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 237-250.
    16. Luo, Pengfei & Song, Dandan & Chen, Biao, 2020. "Investment and financing for SMEs with bank-tax interaction and public-private partnerships," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 163-172.
    17. Rao, Nirupama, 2016. "Do tax credits stimulate R&D spending? The effect of the R&D tax credit in its first decade," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 1-12.
    18. Gilles Hilary & Gary C. Biddle, 2006. "Accounting Quality and Firm-Level Capital Investment," Post-Print hal-00481720, HAL.
    19. Lawrence H. Summers, 1981. "Taxation and Corporate Investment: A q-Theory Approach," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 12(1), pages 67-140.
    20. Lee, Kyung Yun (Kailey) & Mo, Kyoungwon, 2020. "Do analysts improve labor investment efficiency?," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3).
    21. Ha, Joohyung & Feng, Mingming, 2018. "Conditional conservatism and labor investment efficiency," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 143-163.
    22. Chen, Biao & Yang, Jinqiang, 2020. "Optimal investment and financing with a bank-tax-interaction," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    23. Arnold Harberger, 1964. "Taxation, Resource Allocation, and Welfare," NBER Chapters, in: The Role of Direct and Indirect Taxes in the Federal Reserve System, pages 25-80, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    24. Ravšelj Dejan & Kovač Polonca & Aristovnik Aleksander, 2019. "Tax-Related Burden on SMEs in the European Union: The Case of Slovenia," Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Sciendo, vol. 10(2), pages 69-79, March.
    25. Yu-Ching Chiao & Kuo-Pin Yang & Chwo-Ming Yu, 2006. "Performance, Internationalization, and Firm-specific Advantages of SMEs in a Newly-Industrialized Economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 475-492, June.
    26. Christopher L. House & Matthew D. Shapiro, 2008. "Temporary Investment Tax Incentives: Theory with Evidence from Bonus Depreciation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(3), pages 737-768, June.
    27. Azevedo, Alcino & Pereira, Paulo J. & Rodrigues, Artur, 2021. "Optimal timing and capacity choice with taxes and subsidies under uncertainty," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 102(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. Giorgia Maffini & Jing Xing & Michael P Devereux, 2016. "The impact of investment incentives: evidence from UK corporation tax returns," Working Papers 1601, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    2. Eichfelder, Sebastian & Schneider, Kerstin, 2018. "How do tax incentives affect business investment? Evidence from German bonus depreciation," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 231, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    3. Hanlon, Michelle & Heitzman, Shane, 2010. "A review of tax research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 127-178, December.
    4. Lewe, Stefan, 2003. "Wachstumseffiziente Unternehmensbesteuerung," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 20042, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    5. Sebastian Eichfelder & Kerstin Schneider, 2014. "Tax Incentives and Business Investment: Evidence from German Bonus Depreciation," CESifo Working Paper Series 4805, CESifo.
    6. Boie-Wegener, Matti & Koch, Reinald & Oestreicher, Andreas & Schön, Lena, 2024. "Die fiskalische Wirkung von Steuersatzsenkungen, Abschreibungsvergünstigungen und Investitionsprämien in Krisenzeiten: Eine quantitative Analyse in Bezug auf deutsche Kapitalgesellschaften," ZEW Discussion Papers 24-008, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Lei Zhang & Yuyu Chen & Zongyan He, 2018. "The effect of investment tax incentives: evidence from China’s value-added tax reform," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(4), pages 913-945, August.
    8. Eric Zwick & James Mahon, 2017. "Tax Policy and Heterogeneous Investment Behavior," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(1), pages 217-248, January.
    9. Simeon Djankov & Tim Ganser & Caralee McLiesh & Rita Ramalho & Andrei Shleifer, 2010. "The Effect of Corporate Taxes on Investment and Entrepreneurship," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 31-64, July.
    10. Samvel S. Lazaryan & Mariya A. Chernotalova, 2017. "Taxes Impact on Private Investment," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 3, pages 71-84, June.
    11. Edgerton, Jesse, 2010. "Investment incentives and corporate tax asymmetries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(11-12), pages 936-952, December.
    12. Caballero, Ricardo J., 1999. "Aggregate investment," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 12, pages 813-862, Elsevier.
    13. Zhao, Lei & Li, Na & Wu, Yanjun, 2023. "Institutional investors' site visits, information asymmetry, and investment efficiency," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Walch, Florian & Dwenger, Nadja, 2011. "Tax Losses and Firm Investment: Evidence from Tax Statistics," VfS Annual Conference 2011 (Frankfurt, Main): The Order of the World Economy - Lessons from the Crisis 48699, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Rehana Anwar & Jaleel A. Malik, 2020. "When Does Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Affect Investment Efficiency? A New Answer to an Old Question," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    16. François Gourio & Jianjun Miao, 2010. "Firm Heterogeneity and the Long-Run Effects of Dividend Tax Reform," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 131-168, January.
    17. House, Christopher L., 2014. "Fixed costs and long-lived investments," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 86-100.
    18. Jason G. Cummins & Kevin A. Hassett & Stephen D. Oliner, 2006. "Investment Behavior, Observable Expectations, and Internal Funds," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(3), pages 796-810, June.
    19. Karthik Balakrishnan & John E. Core & Rodrigo S. Verdi, 2014. "The Relation Between Reporting Quality and Financing and Investment: Evidence from Changes in Financing Capacity," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 1-36, March.
    20. Habib, Ahsan & Hasan, Mostafa Monzur, 2017. "Managerial ability, investment efficiency and stock price crash risk," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 262-274.

    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:sae:sagope:v:13:y:2023:i:1:p:21582440231155413. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.