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Journal of Accounting and Economics Vol. 14 No. 2 1991

The market for tax benefits

Douglas A. Shackelford

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Abstract

This paper examines the competitiveness of the financial markets with respect to taxes. A unique set of interest rates from leveraged ESOPs enables precise measures of the effect of a debt subsidy on prices. I find that the market shifts most of the tax benefits to borrowers, indicative of an elastic supply curve for lenders. Lenders are compensated for incremental costs, such as reductions in tax rates and barriers to entry. Evidence is also presented that ESOP lenders are high taxpaying banks, suggesting the existence of a tax clientele.

DOI
10.1016/0165-4101(91)90002-6
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
117-145
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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