IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/b/ces/ifofob/123.html
   My bibliography  Save this book

Taxation and Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Falck
  • Anna Kerkhof
  • Christian Pfaffl

Abstract

Innovations form the basis for technological progress and have a decisive influence on the future viability of economies. However, positive externalities as well as the inherent risk of investments in research and development (R&D) lead to private-sector investments in R&D being below the efficient level in the market equilibrium. The state can compensate for this market failure by providing incentives for innovation. Various tax policy instruments are available for this purpose: A distinction is made between targeted R&D tax subsidies (input- or output-based) and general tax subsidies via corporate and income taxation. In an evidence report with meta-analysis, the existing literature on the effect of tax subsidies for R&D was systematically evaluated. The analysis paints a predominantly positive picture with regard to the desired effectiveness of R&D tax promotion. In particular, targeted, input-based R&D tax subsidies and general support through corporate taxes show a positive effect on innovations and R&D activities in private-sector companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Falck & Anna Kerkhof & Christian Pfaffl, 2021. "Taxation and Innovation," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 123, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifofob:123
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.ifo.de/DocDL/ifo_Forschungsberichte_123-Steuern-Innovation.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shao, Yuchen & Xiao, Chengrui, 2019. "Corporate tax policy and heterogeneous firm innovation: Evidence from a developing country," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 470-486.
    2. 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.
    3. Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian, 2021. "Thinking outside the box: The cross-border effect of tax cuts on R&D," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(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. Haufler, Andreas & Schindler, Dirk, 2023. "Attracting profit shifting or fostering innovation? On patent boxes and R&D subsidies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    2. Knoll, Bodo & Riedel, Nadine & Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian & Voget, Johannes, 2021. "Cross-border effects of R&D tax incentives," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    3. Bronwyn H. Hall, 2020. "Tax Policy for Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Innovation and Public Policy, pages 151-188, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Liu, Qing & Qiu, Larry D. & Wei, Xing & Zhan, Chaoqun, 2024. "The (dis)connection between R&D and productivity in China: Policy implications of R&D tax credits," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 297-320.
    5. İrem Güçeri & Marko Köthenbürger & Martin Simmler, 2020. "Supporting Firm Innovation and R&D: What is the Optimal Policy Mix?," EconPol Policy Reports 20, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    6. Oliver Falck & Anna Kerkhof & Christian Pfaffl & Christian Pfaffl, 2021. "Steuern und Innovation: Wie steuerliche FuE-Förderung Innovationsanreize in privatwirtschaftlichen Unternehmen schafft," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 74(10), pages 26-30, October.
    7. Liu, Guanchun & Liu, Hangjuan & Liu, Yuanyuan & Yang, Jinyu & Zhang, Yanren, 2024. "Personal income tax and corporate innovation: The key role of inventors’ financial incentives," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    8. Oliver Falck & Anna Kerkhof & Christian Pfaffl, 2023. "Taxation and Innovation: How R&D Tax Credit Schemes Foster Innovation in the Private Sector," EconPol Forum, CESifo, vol. 24(04), pages 61-66, July.
    9. Yu Lu & Rui Liu & Yuhe Cao & Yuhan Li, 2023. "Tax Burden and Corporate Investment Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    10. Jean Acheson & Rory Malone, 2020. "Respect Your Elders: Evidence from Ireland’s R&D Tax Credit Reform," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 51(1), pages 105-131.
    11. Dai, Xiaoyong & Wang, Mengqi, 2024. "Unintended effects of tax incentives on firms’ strategic patenting," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 1-24.
    12. Kong, Dongmin & Zhang, Bohui & Zhang, Jian, 2022. "Higher education and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Tian, Binbin & Yu, Baixue & Chen, Shi & Ye, Jingjing, 2020. "Tax incentive, R&D investment and firm innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    14. Almunia, Miguel & Guceri, Irem & Lockwood, Ben & Scharf, Kimberley, 2020. "More giving or more givers? The effects of tax incentives on charitable donations in the UK," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    15. Chiara Modanese & Hannu S. Laine & Toni P. Pasanen & Hele Savin & Joshua M. Pearce, 2018. "Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Jacquelyn Pless, 2022. "To Starve or to Stoke? Understanding Whether Divestment versus Investment Can Steer (Green) Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy and the Economy, volume 2, pages 107-147, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Brian Lucking & Nicholas Bloom & John Van Reenen, 2019. "Have R&D Spillovers Declined in the 21st Century?," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 561-590, December.
    18. Lichter, Andreas & Löffler, Max & Isphording, Ingo Eduard & Nguyen, Thu-Van & Poege, Felix & Siegloch, Sebastian, 2021. "Profit taxation, R&D spending, and innovation," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-080, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Alexander Cuntz (a) And Yi Qian (b), 2021. "The Impacts of Counterfeiting on Corporate Investment," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 46(2), pages 1-40, June.
    20. Schwab, Thomas & Todtenhaupt, Maximilian, 2021. "Thinking outside the box: The cross-border effect of tax cuts on R&D," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ces:ifofob:123. 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: Klaus Wohlrabe (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifooode.html .

    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.