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Università Bocconi A.A. 2005-2006. Comparative public economics Giampaolo Arachi. Outline. Implicit taxes Clienteles Arbitrage Restrictions and frictions References:
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Università Bocconi A.A. 2005-2006 Comparative public economics Giampaolo Arachi
Outline • Implicit taxes • Clienteles • Arbitrage • Restrictions and frictions • References: • M. Scholes, M. A. Wolfson, M. Erickson, E. L. Maydew, T. Shevlin (SWEMS), Taxes and business strategy: a planning approach, Pearson Prentice Hall, third edition, 2005, ch.5 and 6
Outline • Implicit taxes • Clienteles • Arbitrage • Restrictions and frictions
Implicit taxes • When two assets give rise to identical pretax cash flows, but one asset is taxed more favorably than the other one, taxpayers will bid for the right to hold the tax-favored asset • As a result, the price of the tax-favored asset will increase relative to the price of the tax-disfavored asset • This implies that the pretax rate of return of the tax-favored asset will fall below of that of the tax dis-favored asset • In the absence of tax-rule restrictions or market frictions, in equilibrium the of after-tax returns will be the same for the marginal investor
Implicit taxes: example Tax-favored status • Full tax exemption: municipal bonds US • Partial exemption or lower tax rates: capital gains • Tax credits: investment tax credit, targeted job credit • Tax deduction permitted at a rate faster than the decline in economic value of the asset Tax disfavored treatment • Special tax assessment • Tax deduction permitted at a rate lower than the decline in economic value of the asset
Computing the implicit tax rate General approach Chose the benchmark (fully taxable bond) Compute the before-tax return on benchmark (Rb) Compute the (risk-adjusted) before-tax return on an alternative (tax favored) asset (Ra) The implicit tax is (Rb - Ra ) The implicit tax rate is given by: Rb (1-tIa) = Ra
Computing implicit taxes: differentially taxed assests • Equilibrium risk-adjusted after-tax return: R* • Explicit tax: (Ra -R*) • Total tax = Implicit tax + Explicit tax • = (Rb –Ra ) +(Ra -R*) • = (Rb -R*) • Total tax rate = (Rb -R*)/Rb • The total tax rate is the same for all assets
Outline • Implicit taxes • Clienteles • Arbitrage • Restrictions and frictions
Outline • Implicit taxes • Clienteles • Arbitrage • Restrictions and frictions
Tax arbitrage • Strictly speaking: the purchase of one asset (a “long position”) and the sale of another (a “short position”) to create a sure profit despite a zero level of investment • Loosely speaking: an investment plan with a risky return due to the fiscal system. • Organizational form arbitrage: long position through a favorably taxed organizational form and a short position through a unfavorably taxed organizational form • Clientele-based arbitrage: reducing explicit tax liabilities at the expense of increasing implicit tax liabilities, or vice versa • Two conditions: • 1) taxpayer can take both long and short positions in differentially taxed assets, at least one of which bears some implicit tax • 2) taxpayers face different marginal tax rates
Organizational-form arbitrage: example • Invest for 2 years in a fully taxable bond (no implicit taxes) with pre-tax rate R through a savings vehicle II (SPDA) • Borrow (via issuing bonds) at the rate of R • After tax SPDA accumulation – After tax loan repayment • = [(1+R)2 (1-t) + t] – [1 + R(1-t)]2 • = R2 t (1-t)
Clientele-based arbitrage: example • Tax exempt bonds: Ra = 7% • Fully taxable bonds: Rb = 10% • Implicit tax rate = (.1-.7)/.1 = 30% • Investor with marginal rate equal to 40% • Other income $100,000 • Borrow $100,000/.1 = $1,000,000 • Invest in tax exempt bonds to earn $70,000
Outline • Implicit taxes • Clienteles • Arbitrage • Restrictions and frictions
Restrictions and frictions • Symmetric uncertainty • Information asymmetry • Hidden action • Capital markets: high interest rates on unsecured borrowing • Labour market • Hidden information • Lemons’ problem in tax driven mergers • Conflicts between financial reporting and tax planning