Debt Bias and Other Distortions

by International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.

Author	: International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 41
Release	: 2009-12-06
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1498335926

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Tax distortions are likely to have encouraged excessive leveraging and other financial market problems evident in the crisis. These effects have been little explored, but are potentially macro-relevant. Taxation can result, for example, in a net subsidy to borrowing of hundreds of basis points, raising debt-equity ratios and vulnerabilities from capital inflows. This paper reviews key channels by which tax distortions can significantly affect financial markets, drawing implications for tax design once the crisis has passed.

Tax Policy, Leverage and Macroeconomic Stability

by International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.

Author	: International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 78
Release	: 2016-12-10
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1498345204

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Risks to macroeconomic stability posed by excessive private leverage are significantly amplified by tax distortions. ‘Debt bias’ (tax provisions favoring finance by debt rather than equity) has increased leverage in both the household and corporate sectors, and is now widely recognized as a significant macroeconomic concern. This paper presents new evidence of the extent of debt bias, including estimates for banks and non-bank financial institutions both before and after the global financial crisis. It presents policy options to alleviate debt bias, and assesses their effectiveness. The paper finds that thin capitalization rules restricting interest deductibility have only partially been able to address debt bias, but that an allowance for corporate equity has generally proved effective. The paper concludes that debt bias should feature prominently in countries’ tax reform plans in the coming years.

Curbing Corporate Debt Bias

by Ruud A. de Mooij

Author	: Ruud A. de Mooij
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 20
Release	: 2017-01-30
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1475573057

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Tax provisions favoring corporate debt over equity finance (“debt bias”) are widely recognized as a risk to financial stability. This paper explores whether and how thin-capitalization rules, which restrict interest deductibility beyond a certain amount, affect corporate debt ratios and mitigate financial stability risk. We find that rules targeted at related party borrowing (the majority of today’s rules) have no significant impact on debt bias—which relates to third-party borrowing. Also, these rules have no effect on broader indicators of firm financial distress. Rules applying to all debt, in contrast, turn out to be effective: the presence of such a rule reduces the debt-asset ratio in an average company by 5 percentage points; and they reduce the probability for a firm to be in financial distress by 5 percent. Debt ratios are found to be more responsive to thin capitalization rules in industries characterized by a high share of tangible assets.

Financial Sector Debt Bias

by Ms.Oana Luca

Author	: Ms.Oana Luca
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 28
Release	: 2016-11-10
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1475552807

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Most tax systems create a tax bias toward debt finance. Such debt bias increases leverage and may negatively affect financial stability. This paper models and estimates debt bias in the financial sector, and present novel estimates for investment banks and non-bank financial intermediaries such as finance and insurance companies. We find debt bias to be pervasive, explaining as much as 10 percent of total leverage for regular banks and 20 percent for investment banks, with the effects most pronounced before the global financial crisis. Going forward, debt bias is likely to once again gain prominence as a key driver of leverage decisions, underscoring the importance of policy reform at this juncture.

Pouring Oil on Fire: Interest Deductibility and Corporate Debt

by Pietro Dallari

Author	: Pietro Dallari
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 42
Release	: 2018-12-07
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1484389107

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This paper investigates the role of tax incentives towards debt finance in the buildup of leverage in the nonfinancial corporate (NFC) sector, using a large firm-level dataset. We find that so-called debt bias is a significant driver of leverage, for both small and medium-sized enterprises and larger firms, with its effect accounting for about a quarter of leverage. The strength of this effect differs with firm size, the availability of collateral, income and income volatility, cash flow, and capital intensity. We conclude that leveling the playing field between debt and equity finance through tax policy reform would decrease NFC leverage, reducing economic risks posited by leverage.

Key Aspects of Macroprudential Policy - Background Paper

by International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.

Author	: International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 64
Release	: 2013-10-06
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1498341713

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The countercyclical capital buffer (CCB) was proposed by the Basel committee to increase the resilience of the banking sector to negative shocks. The interactions between banking sector losses and the real economy highlight the importance of building a capital buffer in periods when systemic risks are rising. Basel III introduces a framework for a time-varying capital buffer on top of the minimum capital requirement and another time-invariant buffer (the conservation buffer). The CCB aims to make banks more resilient against imbalances in credit markets and thereby enhance medium-term prospects of the economy—in good times when system-wide risks are growing, the regulators could impose the CCB which would help the banks to withstand losses in bad times.

Financial Crises Explanations, Types, and Implications

by Mr.Stijn Claessens

Author	: Mr.Stijn Claessens
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 66
Release	: 2013-01-30
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1475561008

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This paper reviews the literature on financial crises focusing on three specific aspects. First, what are the main factors explaining financial crises? Since many theories on the sources of financial crises highlight the importance of sharp fluctuations in asset and credit markets, the paper briefly reviews theoretical and empirical studies on developments in these markets around financial crises. Second, what are the major types of financial crises? The paper focuses on the main theoretical and empirical explanations of four types of financial crises—currency crises, sudden stops, debt crises, and banking crises—and presents a survey of the literature that attempts to identify these episodes. Third, what are the real and financial sector implications of crises? The paper briefly reviews the short- and medium-run implications of crises for the real economy and financial sector. It concludes with a summary of the main lessons from the literature and future research directions.

The Tax Elasticity of Corporate Debt

by Ruud A. de Mooij

Author	: Ruud A. de Mooij
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 30
Release	: 2011-04-01
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1455252328

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Although the empirical literature has long struggled to identify the impact of taxes on corporate financial structure, a recent boom in studies offers ample support for the debt bias of taxation. Yet, studies differ considerably in effect size and reveal an equally large variety in methodologies and specifications. This paper sheds light on this variation and assesses the systematic impact on the size of the effects. We find that, typically, a one percentage point higher tax rate increases the debt-asset ratio by between 0.17 and 0.28. Responses are increasing over time, which suggests that debt bias distortions have become more important.

Recognizing the Bias

by Mrs.Nina Budina

Author	: Mrs.Nina Budina
Publisher	: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages	: 30
Release	: 2015-11-24
Genre	: Business & Economics
ISBN	: 1513508865

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This paper argues that asset price cycles have significant effects on fiscal outcomes. In particular, there is evidence of debt bias—the tendency of debt to increase over the cycle— that is significantly larger for house price cycles than stand-alone business cycles. Automatic stabilizers and discretionary fiscal policy generally respond to output fluctuations, whereas revenue increases due to house price booms are largely treated as permanent. Thus, neglecting the direct and indirect impact of asset prices on fiscal accounts encourages procyclical fiscal policies.