One of the fundamental questions in business tax reform is whether to allow firms to immediately expense investments or require economic cost recovery. The conventional view is that expensing would generate stronger growth effects holding revenues constant. This view is rooted in traditional...

Using firm-level data for 1,084 parent firms in 24 countries and for 9,497 subsidiaries in 54 countries, we show that tax-motivated profit shifting is larger among subsidiaries in countries that have stable corporate tax rates over time. Our findings further suggest that firms move away from...

This study examines how firms shift profits from one period to another in response to the introduction of an allowance for corporate equity (ACE). We focus on the introduction of the risk capital allowance (RCA) in Belgium by the law of June 22nd, 2005. We predict and find that firms with...

Traditional economic theory holds that a business cash-flow tax is superior to a business income tax because it is more efficient and progressive. But much of the literature espousing this view does not explicitly specify the full range of assumptions underlying these claims, let alone explore...

This study develops a model in which a multinational firm creates a brand that generates income in multiple countries. Many firms attempt to develop a brand, but only one firm succeeds. The firm that creates the brand earns positive residual profits. The industry as a whole does not, as the...

We investigate the effects of mandatory private Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR) to European tax authorities on multinational firms' corporate real activities and organizational structures. We exploit the threshold-based application of this 2016 disclosure rule to conduct...

We study tax compliance under decentralized versus centralized tax enforcement. Using a tax administration reform in Canada, we examine which organizational level of tax enforcement leads to higher compliance. Our results show that there is more tax avoidance under centralized tax enforcement....

While consumption taxes are a primary source of tax revenue and constitute a substantial cash outflow for firms, evidence on their effect on corporate tax planning is very limited. This study examines multinational service firms' consumption tax planning behavior and its inter-play with...

In this paper, we investigate the acceptance by taxpayers and tax auditors of voluntary e-audits, i.e., online-based, automated tax audits. Further, we analyze the effects of e-audits on trust in and power of tax authorities. Perceived benefits and shortcomings of e-audits for taxpayers and tax...