In financial markets it is common for companies and individuals to invest into foreign companies. To avoid the double taxation of investors on dividend payment – both in the country where the profit is generated as well as the country of residence – most governments have entered into bilateral double taxation treaties, whereby investors can claim a tax refund in the country where the profit is ...

In this thesis we conduct a network analysis of bilateral tax treaties. We are given tax data of 108 countries. Companies often send money from country to country via indirect routes, because then the tax that must be paid might be lower. In the thesis we will study the most important of these ‘tax’ routes. Questions that we will answer are, for example: 1. Which countries are the most importan...

As the centerpiece of its “growth package,” the Bush Administration proposes to eliminate taxes that individuals pay on dividend payments they receive from corporations. These dividends would receive tax-free treatment to the extent that they have been paid from profits subject to the corporate income tax. For individuals who hold shares in companies that do not pay dividends, the proposal woul...

phase-in of federal income taxes, Congress allowed oil and gas companies to deduct 27.5 percent of gross revenues (up to half of net income) for corporate income tax purposes. Characteristically, a tax policy that began as a technical adjustment of the tax code turned into a deliberate measure to stimulate oil and gas production. The deduction was a big hit with the industry because it far exce...

Around the world, policymakers are obsessed with the competitiveness of their domestic companies and domestically based multinational corporations (MNCs). Such concerns frequently influence policy, especially tax policy. In this paper, I develop a theory of how taxes affect the international competitiveness of businesses. I then use that theory to evaluate basic tax policy decisions, such as th...

Donald Trump’s election was a significant surprise. The reaction of company stock prices to the election reflects shifts in investor expectations about economic growth, taxes, and trade policy. High-beta stocks outperformed, presumably due to strengthened growth expectations. Expectations of significant corporate tax cuts boosted high-tax firms, but hurt firms with significant net operating los...

Donald Trump’s election was a significant surprise. The reaction of company stock prices to the election reflects shifts in investor expectations about economic growth, taxes, and trade policy. High-beta stocks outperformed, presumably due to strengthened growth expectations. Expectations of significant corporate tax cuts boosted high-tax firms, but hurt firms with significant net operating los...

International transfer pricing is pervasive in that it can apply to all manner of goods, services, finance and intangible assets which flow between members of a group located in different parts of the world. Fiscal authorities in many countries are modernising their legislation to ensure they collect a fair amount of corporate tax revenue from companies operating within their jurisdiction. Howe...