La réduction des prélèvements sur les entreprises

Abstract

The reduction of corporate tax and social security contributions, by Bernard Ullmo. Beyond the sharp controversies in terms of economic doctrine relative to the reduction of corporate taxes and social security contributions, this paper will seek to test the issue by resting its argumentation on the findings of macroeconometric models and of theoretical and empirical surveys. We intended to test two current assumptions: that, according to the fixed-prices temporary equilibrium theory, firms which operate under a "classical régime" tend to invest all of the transfer payments made to them, whereas firms under a Keynesian regime tend to employ such transfer payments in other ways; that a large proportion of French firms find themselves currently operating under a "classical régime", owing to the low profit-rate that limits their growth. Yet, none of the experimental methods used in this research, have clearly demonstrated the existence of such a large proportion of firms following the pattern set by the classical regime. Furthermore, the overall efficiency of a policy of reduction of corporate taxes and social security contributions is not to be found in the circuits by which public transfer payments are turned into productive investments. But other efficient though indirect mechanisms should not be excluded, the policy appears to produce its most favourable results whenever the sharpest drops in domestic prices are obtained, and the repercussion on export prices and on the volume of imports and exports maximized. The model Metric, unlike Dms and Copain. substantiates the favourable pattern of behaviour. In summary, there is some uncertainty as to the regimes, and by way of consequence, the investment behaviours, the wage-price cycles and the sub-model related to foreign-trade. Therefore, there could be no decisive evidence in support of the desirability of a reduction of corporate taxes and social security contributions.