This paper aims to (a) calculate D&F (2003) forward-looking effective tax rates for 12
Asian countries over a span of 30 years, (b) show the impact of tax holidays on the effective tax rate in
Asian countries, and (c) empirically explore the possibility of tax competition among Asian countries.
Through relevant analyses, I arrive at three key conclusions. First, while small countries with little rent in
domestic markets set their effective tax rates at almost zero, large countries maintain much higher
effective tax rates. Second, for countries that have generous capital allowance systems, tax holidays may
lead to a rise in not only the effective marginal tax rates (EMTRs), but also the effective average tax rates
(EATRs). Third, some Asian countries may engage in tax competition, at least over the EATR, for a limited
period of time. However, while some countries have raised their effective tax rates in recent years, others
have continued with tax reductions. These results indicate that the recent tax interactions among Asian
countries differ from the simpler interactions seen among the European countries