From interest tax shield to dividend tax shield: A corporate financing policy for equitable and sustainable wealth creation

Abstract

This study critically analyzes debt-incentivized corporate tax and financing policy and provides an Islamic perspective to this important tax deductibility debate. This study advocates that the corporate tax incentive to debt (interest tax shield) be abolished and shifted to equity (dividend tax shield). Later, we use the implications of our proposed taxation policy to reframe the firm financing model and modify M & M's firm valuation model. We use a scenario-based simulation technique and conduct various policy experiments to assess the impact of conventional and proposed tax regimes on levered and zero-levered firms and their values. We find that aligning corporate financing policy with the fundamentals of Islamic finance helps restrain corporate indebtedness and promote profit and loss sharing. According to our proposed model, firms have a reduced cost of financing, tend to be more stable, and are value oriented, especially when they avoid debt to the maximum extent. We further propose that an optimal dividend payout ratio may lead to aggregate equilibrium amongst cost of financing, firm value, and corporate tax contribution to the economy. This study provides new contributions to the discipline of Islamic corporate finance.