Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting

Harry Huizinga, Luc Laeven and Nicodème, Gaëtan
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Gaetan J.A. Nicodeme

No 5882, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: This paper presents a model that relates a multinational firm's optimal debt policy to taxation and to non-tax factors such as the desire to prevent bankruptcy. The model yields the predictions that a multinational's indebtedness in a country depends on national tax rates and differences between national and foreign tax rates. These differences matter as multinationals have an incentive to shift debt to high-tax countries. The predictions of the model are tested with the aid of a broad European data set combining firm-level data and information on the international tax treatment of dividend and interest streams. Corporate debt policy indeed appears to reflect national corporate tax rates and international corporate tax rate differences but not non-resident dividend withholding taxes.

Keywords: Corporate taxation; Financial structure; Debt shifting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 G32 H25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cfn
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (129)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Capital structure and international debt shifting (2008)
Working Paper: Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting (2007)
Working Paper: Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting (2007)
Working Paper: Capital structure and international debt shifting (2006)
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