Taxing Multinational Corporations (National Bureau of Economic Research Project Report)

In the increasingly global business environment of the 1990s, policymakers and executives of multinational corporations must make informed decisions based on a sound knowledge of U.S. and foreign tax policy. Written for a nontechnical audience, Taxing Multinational Corporations summarizes up-to-the-minute research on the structure and effects of tax policies. The book covers such practical issues as the impact of tax law on U.S. competitiveness, the volume and location of research and development spending, the extent of foreign direct investment, and the financial practices of multinational companies. In ten succinct chapters, the book documents the channels through which tax policy in the United States and abroad affects plant and equipment investments, spending on research and development, the cost of debt and equity finance, and dividend repatriations by United States subsidiaries. It also discusses the impact of U.S. firms' outbound foreign investment on domestic and foreign economies. Especially useful to non-specialists is an appendix that summarizes current United States rules for taxing international income. The findings of this volume will be of immediate value to executives, lawyers, accountants, and all who seek a concise, thorough overview of international taxation. It is also of long-term value to scholars and policymakers as they debate reforms of international tax rules in the United States and elsewhere.