Professor of Finance and Law
Mihir Desai's academic publications have appeared in leading economics, finance, and law journals. His work has emphasized the appropriate design of tax policy in a globalized setting, the links between corporate governance and taxation, and the internal capital markets of multinational firms. His research has been cited in The Economist, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, and several other publications.
America retains and enjoys many strengths. However, various economic indicators show that the U.S. economy has failed to deliver strong growth and shared prosperity for nearly two decades. These structural issues pre-date the Great Recession and are compounded by political paralysis. This report calls for a national economic strategy for America and proposes federal policy priorities that can form the core of such a strategy.
Read MoreThe European Union recently hit Apple with a $14.5 billion tax bill, but that’s hardly the first or worst financial challenge the technology giant has faced. In 1997, the company suffered a near-death experience that caused it to completely reimagine itself. The result was a new line of products and an unprecedented financial model. Mihir Desai explains the financial wiring behind the inventors of the iPhone.
Read MoreFinance can be very intimidating. Mihir Desai wants to make it super-intuitive for everyone
Read MoreThe Washington Post
The Dublin-based Botox-maker Allergan announced early Wednesday it would abandon its mega-merger with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer after new government regulations made the tax advantage of the cross-Atlantic deal more difficult to achieve.
Read MoreCommittee on Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington DC.
Read MoreThe Wall Street Journal
Removing the incentive for American companies to move their headquarters abroad is a widely recognized goal. To do so, the U.S. will need to join the rest of the G-7 countries and tax business income only once, in the country where it was earned.
Read MoreThe Washington Post
Again, A U.S.-based multinational corporation is merging with a foreign counterpart, with the intent to pay taxes at the other country’s lower rate. By joining forces with Ireland-based Allergan, pharmaceutical-maker Pfizer may reduce its effective tax rate from 26 percent to 17 percent.
Read MoreIn this interview with the Tax Foundation, Professor Desai analyzes the nature, drivers, and economic effects of profit shifting, with a specific emphasis on the real economic distortions that profit shifting may cause. Moreover, professor Desai highlights aspects related to firm uniqueness with respect to profit shifting and offers a set of possible solutions to address profit shifting.
Read More(w/ D. Dharmapala) in National Tax Journal
This paper proposes and evaluates alternative methods for addressing the tax treatment of interest expenses in a multijurisdictional setting.
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Mihir Desai's academic publications have appeared in leading economics, finance, and law journals. His work has emphasized the appropriate design of tax policy in a globalized setting, the links between corporate governance and taxation, and the internal capital markets of multinational firms. His research has been cited in The Economist, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, and several other publications.
Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance, Harvard Business School, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
