Enhanced R&D Tax Deduction and Corporate Short-term Loans for Long-term Investment: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study empirically investigates the effect of tax incentives on enterprises’ reliance on short-term loans for long-term investment, focusing on China’s enhanced R&D tax deduction policy in 2015. By employing a regression discontinuity design and a complementary difference-in-differences specification, we find that the policy led to a notable reduction in enterprises’ resorting to short-term loans for long-term investment. In addition, the policy accomplished its effect by augmenting enterprises’ cash flows and mitigating their financing constraints, which increased their tendency to rely on internal financing for long-term investment. Furthermore, the policy exhibits a more pronounced restraining effect on financially healthy, non-state-owned, innovative, and small-scale enterprises. The study sheds light on the impact of tax incentives on enterprises’ financing decisions for long-term investment and has important policy implications.