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Tax planning and investment responses to dividend taxation

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  • Koivisto, Aliisa

Abstract

This study explores how business owners respond to dividend taxes in different margins including tax planning and investment. I use administrative tax data on all privately held Finnish corporations and their main owners in 2006–2016. By using tax schedule discontinuities and changes in the schedule as variation, I find exceptionally clear dividend payment responses to tax rates. Evidence on the asset composition of firms indicates that a notable part of the payment response is due to inter-temporal income-smoothing, while changes in the tax schedule did not cause significant real responses in output or investment. Hence, dividend taxes capitalize into share values, as earnings are left in the firms to avoid higher dividend tax. In addition, studying the income composition of owners around tax changes reveals income-shifting between wage and dividends with negligible effect on gross income received from the firm.

Suggested Citation

  • Koivisto, Aliisa, 2023. "Tax planning and investment responses to dividend taxation," Working Papers 154, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:fer:wpaper:154
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    File URL: https://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/186754
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bastani, Spencer & Selin, Håkan, 2014. "Bunching and non-bunching at kink points of the Swedish tax schedule," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 36-49.
    2. Mervyn A. King, 1974. "Taxation and the Cost of Capital," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 41(1), pages 21-35.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    dividend taxation; investment; income-shifting; bunching; Business taxation and regulation; G38; H21; H24; H25; fi=Verotus|sv=Beskattning|en=Taxation|;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • 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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