The effect of repatriation tax costs on US multinational investment

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hanlon, Michelle; Lester, Rebecca; Verdi, Rodrigo
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-405X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.12.004
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 179-196
• 关键词: Cash; INVESTMENT; tax

摘要

This paper investigates whether the U.S. repatriation tax for U.S. multinational corporations affects foreign investment. Our results show that the locked-out cash due to repatriation tax costs is associated with a higher likelihood of foreign (but not domestic) acquisitions. We also find a negative association between tax-induced foreign cash holdings and the market reaction to foreign deals. This result suggests that the investment activity of firms with high repatriation tax costs is viewed by the market as less value-enhancing than that of firms with low tax costs, consistent with foreign investment of firms with high repatriation tax costs possibly reflecting agency-driven behavior. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.