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Foreign (in)direct investment and corporate taxation

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  • Wamser, Georg

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of corporate taxation with respect to a multinational's investment decision, in which the multinational can pursue either a direct or an indirect investment strategy. The latter involves at least three corporate entities and opens up enhanced opportunities for international tax planning. The existence of preferential tax treatment for conduit or intermediate corporate entities presumably changes the role of corporate taxation in destination countries, because it supports multinationals in avoiding taxes. The empirical findings of this study are consistent with theoretical predictions and suggest that tax effects differ, depending on the investment regime. The endogeneity of the structural choice - direct versus indirect - is taken into account by a switching regression approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Wamser, Georg, 2008. "Foreign (in)direct investment and corporate taxation," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2008,15, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bubdp1:7555
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    Cited by:

    1. Thiess Buettner & Michael Overesch & Georg Wamser, 2018. "Anti profit-shifting rules and foreign direct investment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(3), pages 553-580, June.
    2. Daniel Dreßler & Michael Overesch, 2013. "Investment impact of tax loss treatment—empirical insights from a panel of multinationals," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(3), pages 513-543, June.
    3. Overesch Michael, 2016. "Steuervermeidung multinationaler Unternehmen: Die Befunde der empirischen Forschung," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 129-143, July.
    4. Jost H. Heckemeyer & Michael Overesch, 2017. "Multinationals’ profit response to tax differentials: Effect size and shifting channels," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(4), pages 965-994, November.
    5. Egger, Peter H. & Merlo, Valeria & Wamser, Georg, 2014. "Unobserved tax avoidance and the tax elasticity of FDI," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 1-18.
    6. Badi H. Baltagi & Peter Egger & Michael Pfaffermayr, 2014. "Panel Data Gravity Models of International Trade," CESifo Working Paper Series 4616, CESifo.
    7. Anna Gumpert & James R. Hines, Jr. & Monika Schnitzer, 2011. "The Use of Tax Havens in Exemption Regimes," NBER Working Papers 17644, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Bao, Xiaohua & Deng, Jianpeng & Sun, Haoyu & Sun, Jin, 2022. "Trade policy uncertainty and foreign direct investment: Evidence from China’s WTO accession," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    9. Deborah Schanz & Andreas Dinkel & Sara Keller, 2017. "Tax attractiveness and the location of German-controlled subsidiaries," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 251-297, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    multinational company; business taxes; firm-level data; switching regression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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