Tax Shelters or Efficient Tax Planning? A Theory of the Firm Perspective on the Economic Substance Doctrine

Authors

T. Christopher BorekFollow
Angelo FrattarelliFollow
Oliver HartFollow

Start Page

975

Abstract

Courts have articulated a number of legal tests to distinguish corporate transactions that have a legitimate business or economic purpose from those carried out largely, if not solely, for favorable tax treatment. We outline an approach to analyzing the economic substance of corporate transactions based on the property rights theory of the firm and describe its application in two recent tax cases.

Recommended Citation

Borek, T. Christopher; Frattarelli, Angelo; and Hart, Oliver (2014) "Tax Shelters or Efficient Tax Planning? A Theory of the Firm Perspective on the Economic Substance Doctrine," Journal of Law and Economics: Vol. 57: No. 4, Article 4.
Available at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/jle/vol57/iss4/4