Journal of Financial Intermediation Vol. 8 No. 3 1999
Asymmetric Information, Corporate Myopia, and Capital Gains Tax Rates: An Analysis of Policy Prescriptions
Abstract
We develop a model of corporate myopia in which the interaction between asymmetric information and short-term trading by equity holders induces firms to undertake short-term rather than long-term projects, which are intrinsically more valuable. We study the effectiveness of alternative policy prescriptions in eliminating myopia. We show that a capital gains tax cut for long-term equity holders induces optimal project selection; an across-the-board tax cut has no such impact. We characterize the long-term capital gains tax rate which eliminates corporate myopia. Further, we show that a long-term capital gains tax cut does not induce a bias toward inefficient long-term projects when it is, in fact, short-term projects which are more valuable. In contrast, an investment tax credit directed at long-term projects leads to such a bias. Finally, we show that reducing the long-term capital gains tax rate to the level required to eliminate myopic investment behavior may also lead to an increase in government tax revenues.Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: H21, G31, D82.
- DOI
- 10.1006/jfin.1999.0262
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 205-231
- Language
- en
- Sources
- bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref