Transfer pricing determinants for Moroccan multinationals: Empirical study on companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange for the period 2016-2019

Abstract

Transfer pricing is a concern for all countries in the world. In fact, a number of studies around the world have examined the determinants of transfer pricing in countries such as Australia and Indonesia, but their results are contradictory as to the determinants of transfer pricing(as an example; the study by Richardson. G and al (2013) of 183 Australian listed companies for the year 2009 as well as the study of Atwal.A and al (2020), related to industrial companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2018). The present study was conducted in Morocco to examine the effect of firm size, profitability, leverage, taxation and multinationality on transfer pricing for Moroccan multinationals. Thus, it uses secondary data on financial reports or annual reports of companies listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange for the period 2016-2019. The sampling technique uses the purposive method to obtain 80 samples in the observation period of 2016-2019. In this study, descriptive statistical tests were conducted and logistic regression test was used to test the hypotheses. As a result of the research, debt and multinationality have a significant effect on the transfer pricing decision.  In contrast, firm size, profitability and taxation do not have a significant effect on transfer pricing decisions. This work will provide academics with data for the development of transfer pricing design in Morocco and will also provide the Moroccan tax administration and companies with information to take into account when setting transfer prices.

Keywords: company size, profitability, debt, tax, multinationality, transfer pricing

JEL Classification: F23, H2, M4

Paper type: Empirical research