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The Effectiveness of Tax Incentives in Attracting FDI: Evidence from the Tourism Sector in the Caribbean

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  • S. VAN PARYS
  • S. JAMES

Abstract

We investigate to what extend tax incentives have been effective in attracting Foreign Direct Investment in the tourism sector in the Caribbean in the period 1997-2007. More precisely, we test whether the neoclassical investment theory prediction that tax incentives, by lowering the user cost of capital, raise investment, holds in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). We use differences in difference to assess the impact of an important change in tax incentives for tourism investment in Antigua and Barbuda in 2003. The other ECCU countries serve as excellent control group countries since the small islands share the same currency, coordinate macroeconomic policies to some extent, have similar geographical characteristics, and compete for the same big international tourism corporations. Accounting for other factors driving tourism FDI in this region, we find that tourism investment in Antigua and Barbuda after 2003 increased significantly more than investment in the other six ECCU countries due to the tourism tax incentives reform. This study is one of the first to assess the impact of sector specific tax incentives on investment in developing countries. Moreover, while previous studies relied on cross sectional differences, our differences in difference approach offers a cleaner way to identify the effect of the tax incentives policy.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Van Parys & S. James, 2010. "The Effectiveness of Tax Incentives in Attracting FDI: Evidence from the Tourism Sector in the Caribbean," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 10/675, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
  • Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:10/675
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    File URL: http://wps-feb.ugent.be/Papers/wp_10_675.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ms. Jingqing Chai & Rishi Goyal, 2008. "Tax Concessions and Foreign Direct Investment in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union," IMF Working Papers 2008/257, International Monetary Fund.
    2. 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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Tidiane Kinda, 2018. "The quest for non-resource-based FDI: Do taxes matter?," Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Abdullah Alhassan & Mary E. Burfisher & Mr. Julian T Chow & Ding Ding & Fabio Di Vittorio & Dmitriy Kovtun & Arnold McIntyre & Ms. Inci Ötker & Marika Santoro & Lulu Shui & Karim Youssef, 2020. "Is the Whole Greater than the Sum of its Parts? Strengthening Caribbean Regional Integration," IMF Working Papers 2020/008, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Watson Munyanyi & Campion Chiromba, 2015. "Incentivos fiscales y expansión de las inversiones: la industria del turismo en Zimbabue," Revista Ad-Minister, Universidad EAFIT, issue 27, pages 27-51, November.
    4. Garsous, Grégoire & Corderi, David & Velasco, Mercedes, 2015. "Tax Incentives and Job Creation in the Tourism Industry of Brazil," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7324, Inter-American Development Bank.
    5. Yinka Mashood Salaudeen & Monsurat Olaide Akano & Tubosun Najim Oladosu, 2023. "Tax Incentives and Growth of Listed Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(11), pages 540-554, November.
    6. Yixing Yang & Md. Qamruzzaman & Mohd Ziaur Rehman & Salma Karim, 2021. "Do Tourism and Institutional Quality Asymmetrically Effects on FDI Sustainability in BIMSTEC Countries: An Application of ARDL, CS-ARDL, NARDL, and Asymmetric Causality Test," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-29, September.
    7. Majid FESHARI & Ali AKBAR TAGHIPOUR & Mojtaba VALIBEIGI, 2016. "Tourism Demand And Tax Relationship In Islamic Regions," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(3), pages 99-106, December.
    8. Seydou Coulibaly & Abdramane Camara, 2022. "The end of tax incentives in mining? Tax policy and mining foreign direct investment in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(S1), pages 177-194, July.
    9. Seydou Coulibaly & Abdramane Camara, 2021. "Working Paper 354 - Taxation, Foreign Direct Investment and Spillover Effects in the Mining Sector," Working Paper Series 2480, African Development Bank.
    10. Majid FESHARI & Ali AKBAR TAGHIPOUR & Mojtaba VALIBEIGI, 2016. "Tourism Demand And Tax Relationship In Islamic Regions," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(3), pages 99-106, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements

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