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Tax Incentives in Cambodia

Author

Listed:
  • Mr. Manuk Ghazanchyan
  • Mr. Alexander D Klemm
  • Yong Sarah Zhou

Abstract

Cambodia, like its regional peers, offers a number of tax incentives to investors. This paper reviews these incentives to assess their costs and benefits, including their likely effectiveness in attracting capital and in supporting the diversification strategy. It finds that an important incentive, the tax holiday, differs materially from practice elsewhere in offering a deferral rather than exempting from tax and may not be very effective. Moreover, other features of the tax system, such as the high withholding rate on dividends, imply relatively high effective tax rates for foreign investors. The paper discusses potential reforms that weigh revenue and other costs of tax incentives against the need for a competitive tax system, including a shift from tax holidays toward investment allowances.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Manuk Ghazanchyan & Mr. Alexander D Klemm & Yong Sarah Zhou, 2018. "Tax Incentives in Cambodia," IMF Working Papers 2018/071, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2018/071
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. World Bank & Asian Development Bank, 2015. "The Investment Climate Assessment 2014 : Creating Opportunities for Firms in Cambodia," World Bank Publications - Reports 21529, The World Bank Group.
    3. Alexander Klemm & Stefan Parys, 2012. "Empirical evidence on the effects of tax incentives," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(3), pages 393-423, June.
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    6. Dennis Botman & Alexander Klemm & Reza Baqir, 2010. "Investment incentives and effective tax rates in the Philippines: a comparison with neighboring countries," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 166-191.
    7. Zee, Howell H. & Stotsky, Janet G. & Ley, Eduardo, 2002. "Tax Incentives for Business Investment: A Primer for Policy Makers in Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 1497-1516, September.
    8. S. Abbas & Alexander Klemm, 2013. "A partial race to the bottom: corporate tax developments in emerging and developing economies," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(4), pages 596-617, August.
    9. Mintz, Jack M, 1990. "Corporate Tax Holidays and Investment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 4(1), pages 81-102, January.
    10. Wiedemann, Verena & Finke, Katharina, 2015. "Taxing investments in the Asia-Pacific region: The importance of cross-border taxation and tax incentives," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-014, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. Michael P. Devereux & Rachel Griffith & Alexander Klemm, 2002. "Corporate income tax reforms and international tax competition [‘Do domestic firms benefit from direct foreign investment? Evidence from Venezuela’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 17(35), pages 449-495.
    12. Suzuki, Masaaki, 2014. "Corporate effective tax rates in Asian countries," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-17.
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