Net Operating Loss Carryforwards and Corporate Tax Policy

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James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
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This paper explores the role of net operating loss carryforwards (NOLCFs) in the decision-making and valuation of large firms. NOLCFs allow firms to carry losses or negative profits into the future and deduct them from taxable income in a future period. To understand how this tax deduction affects key variables, such as investment, equity distributions, and corporate income tax revenue, I estimate a dynamic firm investment model using simulated method of moments. After determining the deep parameters of the model, I vary policy parameters and evaluate the effects of policy changes on the key moments. For a firm with average assets, the results show that the average NOLCF stock before the 2017 U.S. federal tax reform improved corporate valuation by approximately 5-6%. Further, the 40% decline in the corporate tax rate in 2017 reduced the impact of NOLCFs on corporate valuation roughly proportionally.

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This working paper explores the role of net operating loss carryforwards (NOLCFs) in the decision-making and valuation of large firms.ᅠ
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Barro, Jorge. "Net Operating Loss Carryforwards and Corporate Tax Policy." (2018) James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/net-operating-loss-carryforwards-and-corporate-tax-policy/.

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