International Tax Spillovers and Tangible Investment, with Implications for the Global Minimum Tax

Author/Editor:

Michael Keen ; Li Liu ; Hayley Pallan

Publication Date:

August 4, 2023

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary:

This paper articulates and, using newly-assembled data, explores how international taxation affects aggregate tangible cross-border investment. Spillovers from statutory tax rates abroad seem: As sizable as effects from the host’s rate; larger than previous consensus values (attributed to a systematic bias from FDI data); and consistent with ‘implicit’ profit shifting through real investment (rather than ‘paper’ profit shifting). Contrary to much policy discussion, the results also imply that: Host countries’ marginal effective tax rates have at best a weak effect on real investment; those elsewhere have none; and, applied to the prospective global minimum tax, inward tangible investment in most sample countries will increase.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2023/159

Subject:

Frequency:

regular

English

Publication Date:

August 4, 2023

ISBN/ISSN:

9798400248719/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA2023159

Format:

Paper

Pages:

80

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