Corporate Tax Rate, Financing Policy and Investment Decisions: Evidence from 8 Asian Economies

Abstract

This study intends to examine the heterogeneous impact of corporate tax rates on financing policy and investment decisions. It further quantifies how different financing options can alienate the adverse impacts of corporate taxation on industrial investment decisions. The empirical analysis is based on ten years of financial information relating to non-financial sector firms from eight Asian economies. For the regression analysis, we employ panel EGLS and the system GMM model. The statistical analysis of the study first reveals the negative and significant influence of corporate taxation on industrial investment. It also suggests the dynamic impact of different financing options on corporate investment decisions. The statistical analysis further documents the positive impact of corporate taxation on bank and trade credit financing as well as the negative effect on equity financing. In addition to linear analysis, the findings of study corroborate the existence of the moderating expression of financing options on corporate tax rates and the industrial investment relationship. Based on empirical analysis, it can be suggested that corporate managers should acquire more funding, specifically debt financing, to maintain investment volume during a period of high corporate tax rates. This study substantiates the co-association among three strategically linked decisions and suggests the significance of debt financing for mitigating the adverse impacts of taxation on corporate investment.