Valuing the Interest Tax Shield in the Central European Economies: Panel Data Approach

Capital structure is one of the most frequently discussed issues within Corporate Finance Theory. Optimizing the capital structure and value of the tax shield through the evaluation of its interests can lead to the increasing value of the enterprise, followed by the rising competitiveness and flexibility. The aim of this study is to provide a novel look at the value of the interest tax shield and its determinants in the emerging economies of the Visegrad Four. The model was created on a net sample of nearly 7,000 profitable enterprises between 2015 and 2019 using a one-way fixed effects model of panel data. Regional model results show five main determinants of the debt tax shield (Tangibility, Current Ratio, Gearing, Cost of debt and Size). Others, such as non-debt tax shield, business growth or profitability, are regional, and their impact varies depending on the economic conditions of the countries. The direction of influence of the main determinants indicates that, contrary to the assumed trade-off theory, profitable companies manage the capital structure and the value of tax shield according to the pecking order or modified pecking order theory. The tax shield is made up mostly of interest on short-term loans, which increases the risk of financial distress. There is a hierarchy of funding sources, from trade credit, through short-term loans, to long-term loans, which arc used in the analysed firms to the smallest extent. The structure of liabilities may be considered another determinant of the debt tax shield.