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Corporate Taxation and Investment Evidence from the Belgian ACE Reform

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  • aus dem Moore, Nils

Abstract

We contribute to the empirical literature on the relationship between corporate taxes and investment. We exploit the introduction of the so-called ACE corporate tax reform in Belgium that came into effect in January 2006 to evaluate this relationship in a quasiexperimental setting based on firm-level accounting data. To identify the causal effect of the reform on capital spending of Belgian corporations, we focus on the indirect effect of taxes on investment via their impact on free cash-flow. We use the systematic variation of the cash-flow sensitivity of investment between small and medium versus large firms to form treatment and control groups for difference-in-differences (DiD) estimations. Our benchmark results provide highly significant and robust estimates that correspond to an increase in investment activity by small and medium-sized firms of about 3 percent in response to the ACE reform. We substantiate the robustness of our results by means of triple differences estimations (DDD) that use a matched sample of French companies as an additional dimension of contrast.

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  • aus dem Moore, Nils, 2015. "Corporate Taxation and Investment Evidence from the Belgian ACE Reform," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112888, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc15:112888
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    2. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CPB Discussion Paper 324, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    3. Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & Javier Ávila Mahecha & Jorge Enrique Ramos-Forero, 2017. "The Effect of Corporate Taxes on Investment: Evidence from the Colombian Firms," IHEID Working Papers 10-2017, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    4. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/4v8c8tnfgu8g392dpm6uaefuus is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Knuutinen Reijo & Pietiläinen Matleena, 2017. "Responsible Investment: Taxes and Paradoxes," Nordic Tax Journal, Sciendo, vol. 2017(1), pages 135-150, January.
    6. Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & Javier Ávila Mahecha & Jorge Enrique Ramos-Forero, 2021. "Corporate Taxation and Investment: Evidence from a Context of Frequent Tax Reforms," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 237(2), pages 3-31, June.
    7. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/4v8c8tnfgu8g392dpm6uaefuus is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Sijbren Cnossen, 2018. "Corporation taxes in the European Union: Slowly moving toward comprehensive business income taxation?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(3), pages 808-840, June.
    9. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CPB Discussion Paper 324.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    10. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CESifo Working Paper Series 5790, CESifo.
    11. Seppo Kari & Londiwe Khoza & Nangamso Manjezi & Kyle McNabb, 2019. "Combatting debt bias in South African firms: The case for an allowance for corporate equity," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-10, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Alessandro Zeli, 2018. "The impact of ACE on investment: the Italian case," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(3), pages 741-762, December.
    13. Mooij Ruud De & Hebous Shafik & Hrdinkova Milena, 2018. "Growth-Enhancing Corporate Tax Reform in Belgium," Nordic Tax Journal, Sciendo, vol. 2018(1), pages 1-17, January.

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    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies

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