Tax-Treaty Effects on Foreign Investment: Evidence from European Multinationals

This paper reexamines the effects of bilateral tax treaties on investment location decisions, using a large panel of European countries. It provides evidence that tax treaties induced a positive and significant impact on the number of foreign subsidiaries incorporated in the last decade. Findings also suggest positive effects of treaty features other than withholding tax rates and double-taxation relief methods. When they are analyzed separately, we also find evidence confirming that the host country´s corporate tax rate is a determining factor in the location of foreign subsidiaries.