Does tax reduction spur innovation? Firm-level evidence from China

The role of taxation in firms' innovation is far from a clear answer. We estimate the effect of tax reduction on firms' innovation. By using a novel matched dataset with rich information on innovative activities and taxation reduction, we find the significant promotion effect of tax reduction In addition, by taking heterogeneity into account, we find the promotion effect is larger in service industry than manufacturing sector. Furthermore, we employ alternative innovation indicators and estimation models to take robust checks. The policy implication is that more tax reduction policies should be introduced to small and medium-size firms.