Dividend Taxes and Share Prices: Evidence from Real Estate Investment Trusts

39 Pages Posted: 28 Sep 2001 Last revised: 3 Apr 2022

See all articles by William M. Gentry

William M. Gentry

Williams College - Department of Economics

Deen Kemsley

Tulane University - A.B. Freeman School of Business

Christopher J. Mayer

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2001

Abstract

Financial economists have debated the impact of dividend taxes on firm valuation for decades, but existing empirical evidence is mixed. In this study, we avoid certain complications inherent in previous empirical work by exploiting institutional characteristics of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). For REITs, dividend policy is largely non-discretionary, share repurchases are not tax advantaged relative to dividends, and the market value of a firm's assets is relatively transparent to investors. In addition, REITs are exempt from corporate taxes, so their tax deductions flow directly to shareholders as reductions in dividend taxes. Within this environment, we regress the market value of a REIT's equity on the market value of its assets and its tax basis in assets, which creates tax deductions that lower future dividend taxes. We find that tax basis has a positive effect on firm value, which suggests that investors capitalize future dividend taxes into share prices.

Suggested Citation

Gentry, William M. and Kemsley, Deen and Mayer, Christopher J., Dividend Taxes and Share Prices: Evidence from Real Estate Investment Trusts (September 2001). NBER Working Paper No. w8486, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=285597

William M. Gentry (Contact Author)

Williams College - Department of Economics ( email )

Fernald House
Williamstown, MA 01267
United States
413-597-4257 (Phone)
413-597-4045 (Fax)

Deen Kemsley

Tulane University - A.B. Freeman School of Business ( email )

7 McAlister Drive
New Orleans, LA 70118
United States

Christopher J. Mayer

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance ( email )

3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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