Tax benefit and bankruptcy cost of debt
Tipo
Artigo
Data de publicação
2021
Periódico
Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance
Citações (Scopus)
3
Autores
Ricca L.T.
Juca M.N.
Hadad Junior E.
Juca M.N.
Hadad Junior E.
Orientador
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Membros da banca
Programa
Resumo
© 2021 The Author(s)Different theories seek to substantiate the main determinants of companies’ capital structure. For the trade-off theory, there may be an optimal capital structure in which companies seek a balance between bankruptcy risk and tax benefits generated by the deduction of debt interest. Despite the relevance of both aspects, their joint analysis is not sufficiently studied. Thus, this study seeks to understand whether companies show conservative behavior in relation to their low leverage level. In addition, whether a possible non-optimizing of tax benefits, arising from indebtedness, is due to a higher ex-ante bankruptcy cost for the company or due to the existence of other non-debt tax benefits is intended to verify. For this purpose, tests are performed with simultaneous equations - generalized method of moments and ordered probit - and Tobit regression. The sample comprises non-financial publicly held Brazilian companies. Data are analyzed during the period from 2009 to 2018. As a result, both hypotheses are confirmed - H1 - Increased leverage results from higher debt tax benefits than ex-ante bankruptcy costs and H2 - Companies do not optimize debt tax benefits due to factors other than debt.