We study two court rulings that materially affected dividend taxation in several European countries. The tax changes were not related to economic conditions or part of broader policy initiatives, providing a useful experiment for identifying the effect of taxation on capital structure, payout,...

"This study examines the influence of institutional environment on capital structure and debt maturity choices by examining a cross-section of firms in 39 developed and developing countries. We find that a country's legal and tax system, the level of corruption and the preferences of capital...