INCOME TAX PREFERENCE AND R&D INVESTMENTS OF HIGH-TECH ENTERPRISES IN CHINA

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between income tax preference and R&D investments of high-tech enterprises. This study selects listed high-tech enterprises in China from 2013 to 2018 as samples. The empirical results show that the effective income tax rate among high-tech enterprises in China differs widely. The findings suggest that high-tech enterprises in China have to take advantage of preferential income tax, pay more attention to R&D investments, and strive to improve R&D ability and market competitiveness. In addition, there is a significantly positive relationship between income tax preference and R&D investments of high-tech enterprises, indicating that the preferential tax rate policy and other tax incentives such as additional tax deduction increase R&D investments of high-tech enterprises effectively. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are enterprises in which the state has ownership or control over its capital. The positive relation between income tax preference and R&D investments of high-tech enterprises is more significant for non-SOEs. Non-SOEs have stronger governance efficiency. Therefore, SOEs should make better use of income tax preference and improve innovation enthusiasm. Moreover, this study finds a more positive relationship between income tax preference and R&D investments among high-tech enterprises in the introduction phase than in the growth and mature phases. However, the relation between income tax preference and R&D investments is insignificant for high-tech enterprises in the decline phase. The findings seem to provide a new perspective for the life cycle characteristics of enterprises and the theoretical guidance to enterprises in phases of growth, mature and decline to develop R&D investments better. Finally, loss enterprises or enterprises in geographical units with the innovative environment are eliminated in this study to avoid extra interference. The results remain robust, indicating that preferential income tax policies applied in high-tech enterprises are significantly and positively associated with R&D investments.