IMF Working Papers

At A Cost: the Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations

By Ruud A. de Mooij, Li Liu

March 23, 2018

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Ruud A. de Mooij, and Li Liu. At A Cost: the Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2018) accessed December 23, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

Unilateral adoption of transfer pricing regulations may have a negative impact on real investment by multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper uses a quasi-experimental research design, exploiting unique panel data on domestic and multinational companies in 27 countries during 2006-2014, to find that MNC affiliates reduce their investment by over 11 percent following the introduction of transfer pricing regulations. There is no significant reduction in total investment by the MNC group, suggesting that these investments are most likely shifted to affiliates in other countries. The impact of transfer pricing regulations corresponds to an increase in the ``TPR-adjusted'' corporate tax rate by almost one quarter.

Subject: Corporate income tax, Economic sectors, Taxes, Thin capitalization rules, Transfer pricing, Transfer pricing rules, Transnational corporations

Keywords: Company group, Corporate income tax, Corporate tax policy, Cost of capital, Foreign direct investment, Global, Gross investment, Investment response, MNC group, MNC investment, Multinational firms, Parent company, Profit shifting, Ratio variable, Tax rate, Thin capitalization rules, Transfer pricing, Transfer pricing rules, Transnational corporations, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    36

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2018/069

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2018069

  • ISBN:

    9781484347539

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941