[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/imf/imfwpa/2018-227.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Cost and Benefits of Tax Treaties with Investment Hubs: Findings from Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastian Beer
  • Jan Loeprick
Abstract
This paper investigates the costs and benefits of concluding double tax treaties with investment hubs. Based on a sample of 41 African economies from 1985–2015, the results suggest that signing treaties with investment hubs is not associated with additional investments; yet, these treaties tend to come with nonnegligible revenue losses. Building on a theoretical model, the paper investigates the role of treaty shopping in driving nominal investment flows and provides indirect evidence for its importance in the sample

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Beer & Jan Loeprick, 2018. "The Cost and Benefits of Tax Treaties with Investment Hubs: Findings from Sub-Saharan Africa," IMF Working Papers 2018/227, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2018/227
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=46264
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thiess Buettner & Michael Overesch & Georg Wamser, 2018. "Anti profit-shifting rules and foreign direct investment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(3), pages 553-580, June.
    2. Michael Carlos Best & Anne Brockmeyer & Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Johannes Spinnewijn & Mazhar Waseem, 2015. "Production versus Revenue Efficiency with Limited Tax Capacity: Theory and Evidence from Pakistan," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 123(6), pages 1311-1355.
    3. Ernesto Crivelli & Ruud De Mooij & Michael Keen, 2016. "Base Erosion, Profit Shifting and Developing Countries," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 72(3), pages 268-301, September.
    4. Sebastian Beer & Ruud de Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "International Corporate Tax Avoidance: A Review Of The Channels, Magnitudes, And Blind Spots," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 660-688, July.
    5. Martin Hearson, 2017. "What makes countries negotiate away their corporate tax base?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-122, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Thomas Tørsløv & Ludvig Wier & Gabriel Zucman, 2023. "The Missing Profits of Nations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(3), pages 1499-1534.
    7. Balabushko,Oleksii & Beer,Sebastian & Loeprick,Jan & Pinto Vallada,Felipe, 2017. "The direct and indirect costs of tax treaty policy : evidence from Ukraine," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7982, The World Bank.
    8. Bergstrand, Jeffrey H. & Egger, Peter, 2007. "A knowledge-and-physical-capital model of international trade flows, foreign direct investment, and multinational enterprises," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 278-308, November.
    9. Peter Egger & Mario Larch & Michael Pfaffermayr & Hannes Winner, 2006. "The impact of endogenous tax treaties on foreign direct investment: theory and evidence," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 39(3), pages 901-931, August.
    10. Jannick Damgaard & Thomas Elkjaer, 2017. "The Global FDI Network: Searching for Ultimate Investors," IMF Working Papers 2017/258, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2008. "FDI as an outcome of the market for corporate control: Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 2-20, January.
    12. Fabian Barthel & Matthias Busse & Eric Neumayer, 2010. "The Impact Of Double Taxation Treaties On Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence From Large Dyadic Panel Data," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 28(3), pages 366-377, July.
    13. Mitchell A. Petersen, 2009. "Estimating Standard Errors in Finance Panel Data Sets: Comparing Approaches," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 435-480, January.
    14. Ruud Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "At a Cost: The Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 68(1), pages 268-306, March.
    15. Harry Grubert & Joel Slemrod, 1998. "The Effect Of Taxes On Investment And Income Shifting To Puerto Rico," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(3), pages 365-373, August.
    16. Francis Weyzig, 2013. "Tax treaty shopping: structural determinants of Foreign Direct Investment routed through the Netherlands," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(6), pages 910-937, December.
    17. Joshua D. Angrist & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 2009. "Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 8769.
    18. Maarten ‘t Riet & Arjan Lejour, 2018. "Optimal tax routing: network analysis of FDI diversion," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(5), pages 1321-1371, October.
    19. Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Jack Mintz, 2008. "What determines the use of holding companies and ownership chains?," Working Papers 0803, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    20. Maarten ‘t Riet & Arjan Lejour, 2018. "Optimal tax routing: network analysis of FDI diversion," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(5), pages 1321-1371, October.
    21. Zucman, Gabriel & Fagan, Teresa Lavender & Piketty, Thomas, 2015. "The Hidden Wealth of Nations," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226245423, Febrero.
    22. Kunka Petkova & Andrzej Stasio & Martin Zagler, 2020. "On the relevance of double tax treaties," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(3), pages 575-605, June.
    23. Kimberly A. Clausing, 2016. "The Effect of Profit Shifting on the Corporate Tax Base in the United States and Beyond," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(4), pages 905-934, December.
    24. Thomas Rixen & Peter Schwarz, 2009. "Bargaining over the Avoidance of Double Taxation: Evidence from German Tax Treaties," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 65(4), pages 442-471, December.
    25. Eric Neumayer, 2007. "Do double taxation treaties increase foreign direct investment to developing countries?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(8), pages 1501-1519.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Delatte, Anne-Laure & Guillin, Amelie & Vicard, Vincent, 2022. "Grey zones in global finance: The distorted geography of cross-border investments," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    2. Galstyan, Vahagn & Maqui, Eduardo & McQuade, Peter, 2021. "International debt and special purpose entities: Evidence from Ireland," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. Mr. Shafik Hebous, 2020. "Global Firms, National Corporate Taxes: An Evolution of Incompatibility," IMF Working Papers 2020/178, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Laudage, Sabine, 2020. "Corporate tax revenue and foreign direct investment: Potential trade-offs and how to address them," IDOS Discussion Papers 17/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    5. Stephen Hall & Janine Illian & Innocent Makuta & Kyle McNabb & Stuart Murray & Bernadette AM O’Hare & Andre Python & Syed Haider Ali Zaidi & Naor Bar-Zeev, 2021. "Government Revenue and Child and Maternal Mortality," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 213-229, February.
    6. Sebastian Beer & Ruud de Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "International Corporate Tax Avoidance: A Review Of The Channels, Magnitudes, And Blind Spots," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 660-688, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sebastian Beer & Jan Loeprick, 2021. "Too high a price? Tax treaties with investment hubs in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(1), pages 113-153, February.
    2. Petr Janský & Jan Láznička & Miroslav Palanský, 2021. "Tax treaties worldwide: Estimating elasticities and revenue foregone," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 359-401, May.
    3. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Janský, Petr, 2024. "Profit shifting of multinational corporations worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    4. Arjan Lejour & Jan Möhlmann & Maarten ’t Riet, 2022. "The immeasurable tax gains by Dutch shell companies," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(2), pages 316-357, April.
    5. Sebastian Beer & Ruud de Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "International Corporate Tax Avoidance: A Review Of The Channels, Magnitudes, And Blind Spots," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 660-688, July.
    6. Tibor Hanappi & Ana Cinta González Cabral, 2022. "The impact of the international tax reforms under Pillar One and Pillar Two on MNE’s investment costs," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1495-1526, December.
    7. Lejour, Arjan & Mohlmann, Jan & van't Riet, Maarten & Benschop, Thijs, 2019. "Dutch Shell Companies and International Tax Planning," Other publications TiSEM 175074ad-0248-4c86-b313-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Damgaard, Jannick & Elkjaer, Thomas & Johannesen, Niels, 2024. "What is real and what is not in the global FDI network?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    9. Arjan Lejour & Jan Möhlmann & Maarten van 't Riet & Thijs Benschop, 2019. "Dutch Shell Companies and International Tax Planning," CPB Discussion Paper 402, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    10. Martin Hearson, 2017. "Political role models, child marriage, and women’s autonomy over marriage in India," WIDER Working Paper Series 122, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. West, Ashley & Wilkinson, Brett, 2024. "What do we know about tax treaties and how can accounting research contribute?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    12. Baptiste Souillard, 2020. "Import Competition And Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence From The China Shock," Working Papers ECARES 2020-30, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    13. Francis Weyzig, 2013. "Tax treaty shopping: structural determinants of Foreign Direct Investment routed through the Netherlands," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(6), pages 910-937, December.
    14. Javier Garcia-Bernardo & Petr Janský & Thomas Tørsløv, 2022. "Decomposing Multinational Corporations’ Declining Effective Tax Rates," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(2), pages 338-381, June.
    15. Lejour, Arjan, 2021. "The Role of Conduit Countries and Tax Havens in Corporate Tax Avoidance," Other publications TiSEM e0530ca3-b3b3-4aca-826b-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Lejour, Arjan, 2021. "The Role of Conduit Countries and Tax Havens in Corporate Tax Avoidance," Discussion Paper 2021-014, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    17. Kunka Petkova & Andrzej Leszek Stasio & Martin Zagler, 2020. "Bilateral Tax Competition and Regional Spillovers in Tax Treaty Formation," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2020-07, Joint Research Centre.
    18. Cooper, Maggie & Nguyen, Quyen T.K., 2020. "Multinational enterprises and corporate tax planning: A review of literature and suggestions for a future research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    19. Laudage, Sabine, 2020. "Corporate tax revenue and foreign direct investment: Potential trade-offs and how to address them," IDOS Discussion Papers 17/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    20. Arjan Lejour, 2014. "The Foreign Investment Effects of Tax Treaties," Working Papers 1403, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2018/227. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Akshay Modi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/imfffus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.