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How taxation affects foreign direct investment (country - specific evidence)

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  • Joosung Jun

Abstract

The author estimates empirically the degree to which the tax systems of both home and host countries affect foreign direct investment (FDI). He presents evidence that tax rules significantly affect capital flow fromFDI. Home country taxes in particular appear to significantly affect the behavior of FDI. By identifying the incentives associated with different tax parameters in the home and host countries, the author identifies different channels through which taxes affect FDI. The home-country statutory tax rate is claimed to measure the incentive effect of potential home-country surtaxes on new FDI; the home-country effective tax rate is shown to measure how taxes affect the substitution of investment in one country for investment in another. The host country's effective tax rate should represent either the incentives for FDI in that country or simply the amount of foreign tax payments that are creditable against the home tax liability on the FDI. The most robust of the statistical results - using data on investment in the United States by ten other countries between 1980 and 1989 - shows that the home-country statutory tax rate significantly hurts FDI when the country makes foreign-source income subject to home-country taxation. (The same variable has no significant effect on FDI from those countries that exempt foreign-source income from home-country taxation.) The author found that the coefficient of the home country's statutory and effective tax rates take the opposite sign in the estimated equations; this supports the presence of different channels through which home country tax systems influence FDI. The weak performance of the host-country tax variable in the estimated equations suggests that the host-country tax does not affect decisions about where to invest FDI as much as is conventionally perceived. The host country tax largely represents credible foreign taxes for many investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Joosung Jun, 1994. "How taxation affects foreign direct investment (country - specific evidence)," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1307, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:1307
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Feulefack Kemmanang, Ludovic, 2021. "Does resource dependence cushion the impact of thin capitalization rules on foreign investment inflows? Evidence from Africa," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    2. Lars P. Feld & Jost H. Heckemeyer, 2011. "Fdi And Taxation: A Meta‐Study," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 233-272, April.
    3. de Mooij, Ruud A & Ederveen, Sjef, 2003. "Taxation and Foreign Direct Investment: A Synthesis of Empirical Research," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 673-693, November.
    4. Hristu-Varsakelis, Dimitrios & Karagianni, Stella & Saraidaris, Anastasios, 2011. "Equilibrium conditions in corporate tax competition and Foreign Direct Investment flows," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1-2), pages 13-21, January.
    5. Michael P Devereux, 2007. "The Impact of Taxation on the Location of Capital, Firms and Profit: a Survey of Empirical Evidence," Working Papers 0702, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    6. Ruud A. de Mooij & Sjef Ederveen, 2005. "Explaining the Variation in Empirical Estimates of Tax Elasticities of Foreign Direct Investment," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-108/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Fabian J. Baier, 2020. "Foreign Direct Investment and Tax: OECD Gravity Modelling in a World with International Financial Institutions," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 6(1), pages 45-72, October.
    8. Sebastian Beer & Ruud de Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "International Corporate Tax Avoidance: A Review Of The Channels, Magnitudes, And Blind Spots," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 660-688, July.
    9. Eda Bal k o lu & Ba ak Dalg c & Burcu Fazl o lu, 2016. "Does Foreign Capital Increase Tax Revenue: The Turkish Case," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(2), pages 776-781.
    10. Fabian J. Baier, 2019. "Foreign Direct Investment and Tax: OECD Gravity Modelling in a World with International Financial Institutions," EIIW Discussion paper disbei261, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    11. Hristu-Varsakelis, Dimitrios & Karagianni, Stella & Saraidaris, Anastasios, 2011. "Equilibrium conditions in corporate tax competition and Foreign Direct Investment flows," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 13-21.
    12. de Mooij, Ruud A & Ederveen, Sjef, 2003. "Taxation and Foreign Direct Investment: A Synthesis of Empirical Research," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 673-693, November.
    13. Ruud A. de Mooij & Sjef Ederveen, 2006. "What a difference does it make? Understanding the empirical literature on taxation and international capital flows," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 261, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.

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