causal

European Tax Competition Lowered Corporate Tax Rates

Corporate tax competition within Europe drove corporate tax rates down to 10-20%, paradoxically lower than the pre-Trump US federal rate of 35% plus state taxes—paradoxical because Europe has a larger welfare state to fund—demonstrating that having a federal corporate and income tax (as in the US) versus not (as in Europe) makes a real institutional difference.

causalpending

Speaker

Thomas Piketty

Evidence Quote

Europe, corporate tax competition had led corporate tax rate to grow to 20 [percent], 10 [percent], et cetera — which is very paradoxical

Source

Thomas PikettyConversations with Tyler
Created: 6/13/2026, 3:24:48 AM

My Notes

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