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Corporate Tax Policy and Long-Run Capital Formation: The Role of Irreversibility and Fixed Costs

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  • Jianjun Miao

    (Department of Economics, Boston University)

Abstract

This paper presents an analytically tractable continuous-time general equilibrium model with investment irreversibility and fixed adjustment costs. In the model, there is a continuum of firms that are subject to idiosyncratic shocks to capital. Although the presence of investment frictions lowers consumer welfare, it may raise or reduce the long-run average capital stock, depending on the degree of idiosyncratic uncertainty. An increase in this uncertainty may raise equilibrium aggregate capital, but reduce welfare. An unexpected permanent change in the corporate income tax rate affects the investment trigger and target values, and hence the size and rate of capital adjustment. Following this tax policy, the percentage changes in equilibrium quantities are larger when fixed adjustment costs are larger. These changes are significantly smaller in a general equilibrium model than in a partial equilibrium model.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianjun Miao, 2009. "Corporate Tax Policy and Long-Run Capital Formation: The Role of Irreversibility and Fixed Costs," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-181, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bos:iedwpr:dp-181
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Baley, Isaac & Blanco, Andres, 2022. "The Long-Run Effects of Corporate Tax Reforms," CEPR Discussion Papers 16936, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Jianjun Miao & Pengfei Wang, "undated". "Does Lumpy Investment Matter for Business Cycles?," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series wp2010-002, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    3. Jianjun Miao & Pengfei Wang, 2014. "Lumpy Investment and Corporate Tax Policy," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(6), pages 1171-1203, September.
    4. Isaac Baley & Andrés Blanco, 2022. "The Macroeconomics of Partial Irreversibility," Working Papers 1312, Barcelona School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    irreversibility; fixed costs; heterogeneity; tax policy; general equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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