The success of the flat rate income tax in eastern Europe suggests that this concept could also be a model for countries of western Europe. The present paper uses a simulation model to analyze the effects of revenue neutral flat rate tax reforms on equity and efficiency for the case of Germany....

In this paper, we analyse tax competition in a model where investor firms have the choice between two types of investment, greenfield investment and mergers and acquisitions. We show that the coexistence of these two types of investment intensifies tax competition in comparison to the case where...

The increasing importance of multinational firms raises the question as to whether and how governments should tax repatriated profits, i.e. affiliate profits returned to the headquarters. The answer to this question is especially relevant for profit repatriations within the European Union where...

The European Commission is currently preparing a proposal for a directive on the introduction of a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB). This paper reviews the current state of the European Commission's preparation of the CCCTB proposal and discusses the implications for efficiency and...

We present empirical evidence suggesting that the effect of the host country corporate tax rate on the debt ratio of multinational affiliates in developing economies is positive and larger than the same effect for affiliates in developed economies.

The standard tax theory result that investment should not be distorted is based on the assumption that profits are locally bound. In this paper, we analyze the optimal tax policy in a model where firms are internationally mobile. We show that the optimal policy response to increasing firm...

In September 2011 the EU Commission put forward a proposal for an EU-wide Financial Transaction Tax. This article assesses the proposal. It starts by looking at the design of the tax before moving on to the objectives it is meant to achieve. Two questions are asked in relation to each objective:...

In this comment, we argue that — even in the model used by Hines — full deductibility of costs under the exemption system is incompatible with nationally optimal tax policy. We derive an optimality rule which suggests that cost apportionment rules are efficient. Our findings also imply that...

In this paper, we consider optimal tax enforcement policy in the presence of profit shifting toward tax havens. We show that, under separate accounting, tax enforcement levels may be too high due to negative fiscal externalities. In contrast, under formula apportionment, tax enforcement is...

The globalisation of economic activity and the growing importance of multinational corporations have far-reaching consequences for national tax policies. Since 1995, the average corporate tax rate in the EU has fallen from 35% to 23%. In addition, differences and incompatibilities between the...