In recent years, some European countries have relied on elements of an allowance for corporate equity (ACE) in the design of their tax systems. We analyse the effects of ACE-based taxation on rates of return and effective tax rates. Investment neutrality is lost if the imputed interest rate...

We introduce a model of the banking sector that formally incorporates a buffer function of capital. Heterogeneous banks choose their portfolio risk, bank size, and capital holdings. Banks voluntarily hold equity when the buffer effect against the risk of default outweighs the cost advantages of...