Publications

August 2008
Background Note

The note (1) describes "spin-offs" and "split-offs," (2) summarizes the requirements to qualify for tax postponement, and (3) identifies the public policy considerations justifying this favorable treatment. View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Restructuring; Policy; Taxation

March 2004
Article

New Foundations for Taxing Multinational Corporations

By: Mihir A. Desai

Keywords: Taxation; Global Range; Business Ventures

Read Now

April 2000 (Revised August 2005)
Background Note

Charitable Lead & Remainder Trusts

By: Henry B. Reiling and Catherine M. Conneely

Discusses the concept of charitable lead and charitable remainder trusts, some of their mechanics, and typical circumstances in which they are used. View Details

Keywords: Business Organization; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Taxation; Business or Company Management

October 2013 (Revised March 2015)
Case

Cyprus (A)

By: Eric Werker, Sebastian Berardi, Stelios Elia, Omar Muakkassa and James Zumberge

Cyprus is a small Mediterranean island located at the cross-roads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Since its 1974 split, Cyprus has grown real GDP more than fivefold—in large part because of its development as an "international business" center. The country... View Details

Keywords: Tax Havens; Taxation; Financial Crisis; Business and Government Relations; Cyprus

1991
Chapter

Effects of LBOs on Tax Revenues of the U.S. Treasury

By: Michael C. Jensen, Laura Stiglin and Steven N. Kaplan

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Taxation; Sovereign Finance; United States

SSRN

20 Mar 2019
Working Paper Summaries

In the Shadows? Informal Enterprise in Non-Democracies

Keywords: by Kristin Fabbe, Allison Spencer Hartnett, and Steve L. Monroe

November 1988 (Revised January 1989)
Background Note

Note on Tax and Accounting Issues in Mergers and Acquisitions

Presents a simplified introduction to tax and accounting issues relevant to mergers and acquisitions. Mergers, asset purchase, and stock acquisition are dealt with in the context of taxable vs. non-taxable transactions. Accounting treatment of the transactions is... View Details

Keywords: Taxation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Accounting

07 Nov 2016
Research & Ideas

Corporate Tax Strategies Mirror Personal Returns of Top Execs

financial advisers and accountants. It boils down to personal preference, according to Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Gerardo Pérez Cavazos. “High net worth individuals have a wide range of strategies available to decrease... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland

March 2009
Article

Earnings Management and Corporate Tax Shelters, and Book-Tax Alignment

By: Mihir Desai and Dhammika Dharmapala

This paper reviews recent evidence analyzing the link between earnings management and corporate tax avoidance and considers the implications for how policymakers should evaluate the financial reporting environment facing firms. A real-world tax shelter is dissected to... View Details

Keywords: Earnings Management; Taxation; Financial Reporting; Business and Shareholder Relations

SSRN

January 1999 (Revised October 2010)
Background Note

Accumulated Earnings Tax and Personal Holding Company Tax

By: Henry B. Reiling and Mark Pollard

Identifies Congress's concerns and objectives in adopting the Accumulated Earnings Tax and the Personal Holding Company Tax. Also describes the provisions' mechanics and some of their practical implications. View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Taxation; Business and Government Relations; Business and Shareholder Relations; Public Administration Industry; United States

2015
Working Paper

Executives' Financial Preferences and Shareholder Tax Outcomes

By: Gerardo Pérez Cavazos and Andreya M. Perez-Silva

We demonstrate that executives’ personal financial preferences impact both layers of shareholder taxes, corporate taxes and corporate payouts. We reconstruct executives’ insider equity portfolios to quantify their personal incentives and analyze stock sales that reveal... View Details

Keywords: Executives; Capital Gain; Dividends; Effective Tax Rate; Tax Avoidance; Taxation; Management Teams; Business and Shareholder Relations

SSRN

April 1998 (Revised February 2004)
Background Note

Legal Forms of Organization, The

Describes the various legal forms of organization including proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. Explains the tax and liability attributes of each form, as well as other issues, which may influence the... View Details

Keywords: Business Organization; Taxation; Legal Liability; Ownership; Partners and Partnerships

15 May 2012
First Look

First Look: May 15

Distributed Innovation Author:Carliss Y. Baldwin Abstract Systems of distributed innovation-so-called business ecosystems-have become increasingly prevalent in many industries. These entities generally encompass numerous corporations,... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

February 2009 (Revised June 2011)
Background Note

A Note on the Legal and Tax Implications of Founders' Equity Splits

By: Noam T. Wasserman and Lauren Barley

This note summarizes key legal and tax issues that founders should consider as they contemplate an equity split and ownership structure. Specific issues covered include why founders should not delay splitting the equity and whether they should involve an attorney or... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Equity; Taxation; Intellectual Property; Law; Ownership; Partners and Partnerships

December 2004 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Nestle and Alcon--The Value of a Listing

By: Mihir A. Desai, Vincent Dessain and Anders Sjoman

In response to a perceived undervaluation by the capital markets, Nestle is considering divesting a part of its ophthalmology subsidiary, Alcon, and must decide on a listing location. In the process, students are challenged to wrestle with the valuation of a... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; International Finance; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Markets; Taxation; Business Subsidiaries; Valuation; Food and Beverage Industry; Health Industry; Europe; United States

November 2022
Case

Chêne Bleu: Caught in the Trade Tariff Crossfire

By: Dante Roscini, Elena Corsi and Daniela Beyersdorfer

A French wine estate faced a 25% tariff on its U.S. exports following a multi-decade-long EU-U.S. trade dispute in the aerospace industry. View Details

Keywords: Trade; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Expansion; Family Business; Distribution; Agribusiness; Taxation; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Aerospace Industry; France; United States; Europe

December 1998 (Revised July 2010)
Background Note

Passive Activity Losses

By: Henry B. Reiling, Mark Pollard and Kevin Wall

Discusses the historical context, purpose, primary mechanical features, and effects of the passive activity loss rules. View Details

Keywords: Finance; Government Legislation; Taxation; Business and Government Relations; Public Administration Industry

July 2010
Supplement

Post-Crisis Compensation at Credit Suisse (C)

By: Clayton S. Rose and Aldo Sesia

The (C) case describes the results of Credit Suisse's PIP I program, the value of PAF, shareholders' vote on the new compensation plan supported by management, and the impact of the company's approach to the U.K. banker's tax. View Details

Keywords: Voting; Taxation; Compensation and Benefits; Business and Shareholder Relations; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Switzerland; United Kingdom