Logo image
The impact of IP box regimes on the M&A market
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The impact of IP box regimes on the M&A market

Sebastien Bradley, Leslie Robinson and Martin Ruf
Journal of accounting & economics, v 72(02-03), 101448
Nov 2021
url
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3304559View
Preprint (Author's original) Open Open Access (License Unspecified)

Abstract

Acquisitions Innovation IP box M&A Patent Tax policy
Intellectual property (IP) box regimes reward ownership of successful technology by imposing lower tax rates on income derived from IP relative to other sources of business income. Coupled with explicit provisions regarding the eligibility of acquired IP, IP boxes may affect merger and acquisition (M&A) incentives through multiple channels. Applying panel difference-in-differences, triple-differencing, and event study methods, we examine the effects of these modified incentives on the volume of M&A transactions and acquisition probabilities. In regimes with strict nexus requirements, reduced taxation of IP income is associated with reductions in the number of deals and the probability of being acquired for patent-owning firms due to the potential loss of eligibility for preferential taxation. This effect dissipates where nexus requirements are relaxed, and significant positive effects of IP box tax savings in more permissive regimes point to increased after-tax valuations of merger-driven synergies. •Preferential taxation of income from intellectual property (IP) affects mergers and acquisitions through multiple channels.•Strict nexus requirements reduce M&A activity involving patent-owning target firms in IP box countries.•Where nexus requirements are relaxed, IP box taxation promotes M&A activity involving patent-owning target firms.

Metrics

25 Record Views
15 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#1 No Poverty
#10 Reduced Inequalities
#17 Partnerships for the Goals

Source: SDGs in the Output

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Business, Finance
Economics
Logo image