Lessons from Behavioral Responses to International Taxation

This paper considers the impact of international taxation on patterns of foreign direct investment and on the extent of international tax avoidance activity. Recent evidence indicates that taxation significantly influences the location of foreign direct investment, corporate borrowing, transfer pricing, dividend and royalty payments, and R&D performance. Reactions to worldwide tax rate differences, as well as to changes in international tax rules, provide important information concerning the extent to which taxpayers respond to incentives. The generally high degree of responsiveness in turn carries implications for the design of domestic as well as international tax policy.