The Modigliani and Miller (1963) model of capital structure choice under taxation
still forms the theoretical basis for most pedagogy and practice in modern Finance,
despite its limitations. This theory predicts a corner solution of all debt financing for
all firms, due to the deductibility of interest payments at the corporate level. Such an
outcome, however, appears grossly at variance with observedprac tices andhas never
been taken seriously as a policy recommendation.