The effect of tax incentives on energy intensity: Evidence from China's VAT reform

Qianling Zhou, Tao Li and Liutang Gong

Energy Economics, 2022, vol. 108, issue C

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of how firms' energy intensity is affected by China's value-added tax reform, which provides permanent tax incentives for firms to invest in fixed assets. Using the difference-in-differences method, a unique firm-level data set is employed to examine the impact of VAT reform on firms' energy intensity. The results show that VAT reform significantly reduces firms' coal intensity by approximately 9%. There is a greater decrease in coal intensity for large-scale firms, firms in energy-intensive industries, and private firms after the reform. By encouraging firms to invest in fixed assets and improve output, this reform achieves an energy-saving effect. Our results shed new light on the effect of tax policy and can help inform the development of energy policies.

Keywords: Energy intensity; VAT reform; Difference-in-differences estimation; Tax incentive (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:108:y:2022:i:c:s014098832200069x

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2022.105887

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