Coming Soon: World Economic Outlook, October 2026

World Economic Outlook

Source details

The IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook will release analytical chapters on October 5 and October 6, 2026.
The full report will be published on October 13, 2026 during the 2026 Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

Title: Chapter 3: Intangible Yet Real: Spillovers from Corporate Income Taxation.
Focus: How the globalization of production, the rise of multinational corporations, and the growing importance of intangible assets have transformed corporate income taxation and cross-border spillovers.

Globalization, multinational corporations, and intangible assets have transformed the landscape of corporate income taxation.
Anti-avoidance rules have weakened incentives for profit shifting.
Real investment has become more sensitive to differences in tax rates.
Profits and economic activity are moving back into alignment.
The global effects of corporate income tax policy changes depend on how they are financed.
Debt-financed tax cuts:
- Support domestic activity.
- Can generate negative spillovers abroad in the short term.
Over time:
- Spillovers from policy changes can be positive due to cross-border knowledge transfers.
- Lower revenues can constrain public investment domestically, particularly in emerging market and developing economies.
Stronger anti-avoidance frameworks help mitigate these trade-offs.

Evaluate corporate income tax policy changes not only for domestic demand effects but also for cross-border spillovers, with attention to financing methods.
Consider the short-term negative spillovers abroad from debt-financed tax cuts alongside potential longer-term positive spillovers from knowledge transfers.
Protect public investment capacity, especially in emerging market and developing economies, when revenue declines follow tax policy changes.
Strengthen anti-avoidance frameworks to reduce profit-shifting incentives and to help align profits with real economic activity.