MICROPROD
MICROPROD Raising EU Productivity: Lessons from Improved Micro Data The goal of MICROPROD is to contribute to a greater understanding of the challenges brought about in Europe by…
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IWH FDI Micro Database
IWH FDI Micro Database The IWH FDI Micro Database (FDI = Foreign Direct Investment) comprises a total population of affiliates of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in selected…
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IWH Subsidy Database
Background Every year, companies in Germany receive subsidies from the German state, the Laender, and the European Union. These are quite high, ranging in double-digit billion…
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Research Clusters
Three Research Clusters Research Cluster "Economic Dynamics and Stability" Research Questions This cluster focuses on empirical analyses of macroeconomic dynamics and stability.…
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Tasks
Tasks of the IWH Guided by its mission statement , the IWH places the understanding of the determinants of long term growth processes at the centre of the research agenda. Long…
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Membership
Membership Five Good Reasons for Becoming a Member of the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) The Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) - Member of the Leibniz…
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IWH EXplore
IWH EXplore Competitive Funding for Research Projects with External Involvement at IWH IWH EXplore gives scientists the opportunity to acquire supplemental funding, in addition to…
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Projects
Our Projects 07.2022 ‐ 12.2026 Evaluation of the InvKG and the federal STARK programme On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, the IWH and the RWI…
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Research Groups
Our Research Groups Banking, Regulation, and Incentive Structures Data Science in Financial Economics Econometric Tools for Macroeconomic Forecasting and Simulation Education,…
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R&D Tax Credits and the Acquisition of Startups
William McShane, Merih Sevilir
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 15,
2023
Abstract
We propose a novel mechanism through which established firms contribute to the startup ecosystem: the allocation of R&D tax credits to startups via the M&A channel. We show that when established firms become eligible for R&D tax credits, they increase their R&D and M&A activity. In particular, they acquire more venture capital (VC)-backed startups, but not non-VC-backed firms. Moreover, the impact of R&D tax credits on firms’ R&D is increasing with their acquisition of VC-backed startups. The results suggest that established firms respond to R&D tax credits by acquiring startups rather than solely focusing on increasing their R&D intensity in-house. We also highlight evidence that startups do not appear to benefit from R&D tax credits directly, perhaps because they typically lack the taxable income necessary to directly benefit from the tax credits. In this context, established firms can play an intermediary role by acquiring startups and reallocating R&D tax credits, effectively relaxing the financial constraints faced by startups.
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