Uncertainty, Welfare Cost, and the "adaptability" of U.S. Corporate Taxes

Uncertainty, Welfare Cost, and the Author: Don Fullerton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Corporations
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
Alternative corporate tax systems differ in their ability to adapt to changes in the rate of inflation. Absent complete indexing of depreciation allowances, a tax system may use the expected inflation rate to set accelerated depreciation allowances in a way that minimizes the welfare loss from them is allocation of capital. This welfare loss is a nonlinear function of the assumed inflation rate, however, so the welfare loss at the expected inflation rate may be quite different from the expected welfare loss. We compute these two welfare concepts for each of three alternative corporate tax schemes in the U.S. and for two different relationships between inflation and interest rates. One important finding is that the Auerbach-Jorgenson first year recovery plan is not equivalent to indexing as is often claimed, if uncertainty about inflation implies uncertainty about the real after-tax discount rate.

Limits and Problems of Taxation

Limits and Problems of Taxation PDF Author: Finn R. Forsund
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1349080942
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
This volume brings together a number of new studies concerned with some of the topical problems of taxation. In Part I, limits of taxation are considered from the viewpoint of normative tax theory, its relation to the 'hidden' economy, and in terms of empirical estimates of the effects of taxes. Part II contains three theoretical studies which extend the theory of income taxation and redistribution. Part III deals with the corporate tax and contains both theoretical and empirical contributions. In conclusion, Part IV is devoted to two analyses of alternatives to income and corporate taxation. The authors represent a number of different countries and viewpoints.

NBER Reporter

NBER Reporter PDF Author: National Bureau of Economic Research
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 816

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Tax Neutrality and Intangible Capital

Tax Neutrality and Intangible Capital PDF Author: Don Fullerton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Capital
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
Many studies measure capital stocks and effective tax rates for different industries, but they consider only tangible assets such as equipment, structures, inventories, and land. Some of these studies also have estimated that the welfare cost of tax differences among these assets under prior law is about $10 billion per year or 13 percent of all corporate income tax revenue. Since the investment tax credit was available only for equipment, its repeal raises the effective rate of taxation of equipment toward that of other assets and virtually eliminates this welfare cost. However, firms also own intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, a good reputation, or general production expertise. This paper provides alternative measures of the intangible capital stock, and it investigates implications for distortions caused by taxes. The existence of intangible capital markedly alters welfare cost calculations. Investments in advertising and R&D are expensed, so the effective rate of tax on these assets is less than that on equipment under prior law. With large differences between these assets and other tangible assets, we find that the welfare cost measure under prior law increases to $13 billion per year. Repeal of the investment credit taxes equipment more like other tangible assets but less like intangible assets. The welfare cost still falls, to about $7 billion per year, but it is no longer "virtually eliminated." With additional sources of intangible capital, credit repeal could actually increase welfare costs. Finally, however, the Tax Reform Act of 1986 not only repeals the investment tax credit but reduces rates as well. Efficiency always increases in this model because the taxation of tangible assets is reduced toward that of intangible assets.

Tariffs, Subsidies, and Welfare with Endogenous Policy

Tariffs, Subsidies, and Welfare with Endogenous Policy PDF Author: Dani Rodrik
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Commercial policy
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Publications

Publications PDF Author: National Bureau of Economic Research
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin

Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin PDF Author: Public Affairs Information Service
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 1510

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Taxation and the Location of U.S. Investment Abroad

Taxation and the Location of U.S. Investment Abroad PDF Author: Daniel J. Frisch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Corporations, American
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
Tax policy toward the overseas income of U.S. firms is an important issue since foreign investment accounts for a sizabLe fraction of total investment by U.S. firms. At present there is no consensus on the degree to which U.S. firms respond to tax incentives when making international investment decisions. This paper seeks to shed light on this issue. Because the tax systems of (at least) two countries are involved,the specification of tax incentives is far from trivial. For example, U.S.treatment is based on the foreign tax credit mechanism. In its purest form,this mechanism would insure that the net tax rate on all income of U.S. firms would be equal to the U.S. rate, rendering the tax rates in the host countries irrelevant. In fact, actual U.S. tax practice is far removed from an idealized foreign tax credit mechanism. For instance the U.S. tax is not collected until income is repatriated from abroad; section I points out that deferral changes the incentive effects in fundamental ways. Foreign income tax rates definitely do matter in theory; in fact, they may be of overriding importance.The remainder of the paper seeks to test these theoretical considerations. First,we describe the cross-section data that were collected for this purpose. Then, we report the result that U.S. firms respond to net rates of return in general and to properly specified tax rates in particular.

Fiscal Policies for Development and Climate Action

Fiscal Policies for Development and Climate Action PDF Author: Miria A. Pigato
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9781464813580
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This report provides actionable advice on how to design and implement fiscal policies for both development and climate action. Building on more than two decades of research in development and environmental economics, it argues that well-designed environmental tax reforms are especially valuable in developing countries, where they can reduce emissions, increase domestic revenues, and generate positive welfare effects such as cleaner water, safer roads, and improvements in human health. Moreover, these reforms need not harm competitiveness. New empirical evidence from Indonesia and Mexico suggests that under certain conditions, raising fuel prices can actually increase firm productivity. Finally, the report discusses the role of fiscal policy in strengthening resilience to climate change. It provides evidence that preventive public investments and measures to build fiscal buffers can help safeguard stability and growth in the face of rising climate risks. In this way, environmental tax reforms and climate risk-management strategies can lay the much-needed fiscal foundation for development and climate action.

Trade and Structural Adjustment in the U.S. Economy

Trade and Structural Adjustment in the U.S. Economy PDF Author: William H. Branson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Competition, International
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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