This paper analyzes transfer pricing incentives under a destination-based and an origin-based VAT system. While a switch to the origin-based VAT may moderate or reinforce the incentive for transfer pricing induced by income tax differentials, we show that in the case of the EU this switch tends...

Intercompany transactions, financing, and licensing generally offer the opportunity to shift income from one jurisdiction to the other, which may be a valuable instrument for multinationals to reduce the overall tax burden. At the same time, profit shifting imposes risk to governments as it may...