Corporate Tax Planning Strategies: The Role of Shell Companies in Tax Havens and Their Impact on Emerging Markets
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v6i3.4461Keywords:
Tax Planning, Tax Avoidance, Shell Companies, Tax Havens, BEPS, Transfer Pricing, Emerging Markets, Tax Transparency, Tax RegulationsAbstract
This study examines tax planning strategies employed by multinational corporations, focusing on the role of shell companies in tax havens and their impact on emerging markets. Using a systematic literature review approach, the research explores various tax planning techniques such as transfer pricing, profit shifting, and the utilization of international tax treaties to optimize tax liabilities. The findings indicate that these practices contribute to significant tax revenue losses in emerging economies, affecting fiscal stability and economic growth. Despite the implementation of international regulations such as the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative to curb tax avoidance, multinational corporations continue to adapt with new strategies. This study recommends enhancing tax transparency, strengthening international cooperation, and reforming tax policies in emerging markets to mitigate the adverse effects of corporate tax avoidance.
References
Adie, C. I. (2025). Strategic Planning and Transfer Pricing Regulations Implementation in Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Human Resource Capability. Indiana Journal of Economics and Business Management, 5(2), 1-11.
AHMED, A. I., & MOHAMMED, N. (2025). EFFECT OF TAX OPTIMIZATION ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF AIRLINES IN NIGERIA. UMM Journal of Accounting and Financial Management, 5(1), 110-127.
Aliprandi, G., Busschots, T., & Oliveira, C. (2023). Mapping the global geography of shell companies.
Al-Refiay, H. A. N., Barrak, J. I., Isam Elaibi Al-Tameemi, A., & Pazhohi, M. (2025). Tax Risk and Cost of Debt: The Role of Tax Avoidance—Evidence from the Iraqi Stock Market. Risks, 13(2), 29.
Anzuini, A., Pisano, E., Rossi, L., Sanelli, A., Tosti, E., & Zangari, E. (2023). Clever planning or unfair play? Exploring the economic and statistical impacts of tax avoidance by multinationals. Exploring the Economic and Statistical Impacts of Tax Avoidance by Multinationals (October 05, 2023). Bank of Italy Occasional Paper, (799).
Arlen, G., & Burelli, C. (2022). Getting real about taxes: Offshore tax sheltering and realism's ethic of responsibility. Ethics & International Affairs, 36(2), 231-258.
BABATUNDE, M. O. EARNINGS MANAGEMENT-TAX SHELTER NEXUS IN NIGERIA: AN APPLICATION OF SMALL POSITIVE NET INCOME. PRINTED BY: ACCSA Global, 53.
Beckett, P. R. An Anatomy of Tax Havens.
Bernal Toledo, N. J. (2024). Análisis de los Aprovechamientos Tributarios en Periodos Fiscales desde el año 2020 a 2024 para la Empresa Telecomunicaciones del Sur SAS.
Bisschop, L., Bociga, D., Kluin, M., & Homer, E. (2025). Examining the multifaceted harms of corporate and white-collar crime. Crime, Law and Social Change, 83(1), 1-8.
Burandt, P. (2021). Methods of tax optimisation with the use of tax havens. Financial Law Review, 22(2), 78-93.
Changwony, S. (2025). PERCEIVED DETERMINANTS OF TURNOVER TAX COMPLIANCE. DOES PATRIOTISM MATTER? A CASE OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES. African Journal of Emerging Issues, 7(3), 37-54.
Chen, C. Y., & Nor, S. N. H. J. N. (2025). The effect of CG on tax avoidance: The moderating role of company size. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(8), 2025415-2025415.
Dang, V. B. T. (2025). The Impact of Tax Planning, Foreign Board Membership, and ESG Disclosure on Corporate Value: Empirical Evidence in Vietnam. In Green Economic Development and Transition to Low-Carbon Economy in the East and Southeast Asia (pp. 189-204). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Dejlani, J., Shorvarzi, M. R., Abadi, A. M., & Mehrazin, A. (2024). Review of the Tax Audit Framework in the National Tax Administration. Business, Marketing, and Finance Open, 1(6), 75-85.
Dudumashe, T. An explanatory study on benefits of implementing progressive Wealth Tax in South Africa.
Ebrahim, A., Castillo, S., Leyaro, V., Swema, E., & Haule, O. (2024). Bridging the Gap: Unveiling the Potential of Tanzania’s SMEs through VAT Insights. CESifo Economic Studies, ifae024.
Faktorovich, A. (2024). A Study of the Jailing of Anti-Tyrannical Dissidents. Pennsylvania Literary Journal, 16(3), 143-371.
Gaji?, T., & ?okovi?, F. PERMANENT INVOLVEMENT OF DIGITIZATION AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN THE DIRECTION OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN THE TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY OF SERBIA. In Proceedings–The First International Conference FUTURE-BME 2024 (Forging the Future: Pioneering Approaches in Business, Management and (p. 841).
Gavrilova, E., & Schjelderup, G. (2024). Crime havens: Tax planners and financial institutions rub shoulders with criminals. In Research Handbook on the Economics of Tax Havens (pp. 256-278). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Husein, H., Usmany, A., Kriswantini, D., & Tjio, S. T. (2024). PENGARUH TAX AVOIDANCE TERHADAP COST OF DEBT DENGAN KEPEMILIKAN INSTITUSIONAL SEBAGAI PEMODERASI PADA PERUSAHAAN MENURUT RATING SCORE HUTANG PADA PEFINDO. Jurnal Daya Saing, 10(2), 267-275.
Ilham, A. P., Maharani, F., Nurfadhilla, I., Giftiani, Y., & Fionasari, D. (2025). Analisis Pemahaman dan Kepatuhan Pajak UMKM pada PT Sedap Bakat Group. Jurnal Akuntansi, Keuangan dan Perpajakan, 8(1), 11-21.
Isallah, H. (2024). Socio-Political Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility and Tax Avoidance in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry: Towards the Development of a Monitoring Framework.
Janparvar, M., Jafarpour Ghalehteimouri, K., Bahrami Jaf, S., & Mousavi, M. N. (2025). Investigating the main drivers of COVID-19 outbreak challenges in metropolis management: a case study of Mashhad, Iran. Discover Health Systems, 4(1), 20.
Kefayat, M., Ebrahimi, M., & Zare, H. (2024). The Impact of Terrorist Shocks on Employment with a Spatial Econometric Approach; Evidence from Selected Countries in the Middle East Region. The Journal of Economic Policy, 359-397.
Kosha, E. Z., Salimi, A., & Hosaini, S. A. Opportunities and threats of cryptocurrency exchanges with emphasis on resistance economy.
Kuatbaevich, I. T. (2025). Analysis of Financial Results of Business Entities. Miasto Przysz?o?ci, 57, 426-430.
Lejour, A., & van't Riet, M. (2025). Developing Countries, Tax Treaty Shopping and the Global Minimum Tax.
Lejour, A., Möhlmann, J., & van ’t Riet, M. (2021). The immeasurable tax gains by Dutch shell companies. International Tax and Public Finance, 1-42.
Lejour, A., Möhlmann, J., Van't Riet, M., & Benschop, T. (2019). Dutch shell companies and international tax planning.
Li, M., & Hu, Y. (2025). ESG performance and cross-region investment: evidence from China. International Journal of Emerging Markets.
Makokha, S. A., Rono, L., & Githaiga, P. (2024). CEO attributes and corporate tax avoidance in the East Africa Community. International Academic Journal of Economics and Finance, 4(3), 214-228.
Martin, I. W. (2024). What’s the Matter with Delaware? How the First State Has Favored the Rich, Powerful, and Criminal—and How It Costs Us All, by Hal Weitzman.
Mejía, M. G., De Mora, F. A., Brankevich, P., Roseth, B., & Bautista, S. N. (2024). Public Asset Management Maturity Assessment.
Miethe, J. (2024). Tax havens and illicit financial flows. In Research Handbook on the Economics of Tax Havens (pp. 196-216). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mitchell, A., Sikka, P., Christensen, J., Morris, P., & Filling, S. (2002). No accounting for tax havens. Basildon, Essex: Association for Accountancy & Business Affairs.
Morel, N. (2025). Why do we do it? The policy feedback effects of fiscal welfare. In The Politics of Fiscal Welfare (pp. 133-153). Policy Press.
Mpofu, Q. (2025). A discussion paper on international taxation and the allocation of taxing rights in Africa: challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), 7(1), 122-130.
Neri-Lainé, M., & Rapoport, H. (2025). The consequences of Trump’s migration policies.
Nguyen, D. T. T. (2024). Improving Individual Business Tax Collection In Ho Chi Minh City Via Technological Solutions. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 4(4), e03542-e03542.
Obod O‘g‘li, E. I., & Islombek O‘g‘li, A. I. (2025). THE IMPACT OF TAX HAVENS ON GLOBAL ECONOMICS. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, 2(6), 102-110.
Odunsi, O. T., Alao, A. A. A., & Fakayode, O. P. (2024). Board Attributes And Tax Aggressiveness Of Listed Manufacturing Firms In Nigeria. International Journal of Contemporary Accounting, 6(2), 145-160.
Özker, A. N., Debkumar, C. S., Abdeslam, C., Cordova, W., & Lim, C. T. N. (2025). TAX EVASION IN EUROPE: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES. ECONOMICS-INNOVATIVE AND ECONOMICS RESEARCH JOURNAL, 13(1).
Pacini, C., & Stowell, N. F. (2020). Panama Papers and the abuse of shell entities. In Corporate Fraud Exposed: A Comprehensive and Holistic Approach (pp. 361-382). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Pareno, S. B. (2024). Effect of Transfer Pricing on Corporation Tax Compliance Among Multinational Corporations in Nairobi Kenya. Journal of Finance and Accounting, 4(5), 1-12.
Perez, S. H. O. Governmental Impact Bonds in Lieu of Asset-Based Taxation to Shore up and Stabilize Government Finances.
Pipatnarapong, J., Beelitz, A., & Jaafar, A. (2025). Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance: evidence from BRICS countries. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society.
Rybacka, J. (2024). The Significance of the KYC Procedure from the Perspective of Banking Institutions in Poland and the Perception of this Policy from the Clients' Perspective–Based on an Empirical Study. Finanse i Prawo Finansowe, 3(43), 117-137.
Schneider-Maunoury, G., & Joubrel, M. (2023). How to deal with tax avoidance in sustainable finance? Work out and assess new ratios for ESG analysis. Work out and assess new ratios for ESG analysis (August 30, 2023).
Shams, H. A., Tahir, M., & Marwat, A. (2025). Unveiling the relationships among tax avoidance and sustainable firms' performance: Empirical evidence from Pakistan manufacturing firms. Dialogue Social Science Review (DSSR), 3(1), 920-930.
Singh, A. (2024). Evaluating Responses to Offshore Tax Evasion: A Comparative Analysis of Legislative Reforms in the USA and Canada Post-Panama Papers.
Sitinjak, M. M., & Sanra, W. (2023). The Effect of Tax Planning and Company Size on Earnings Management on Manufacturing Listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Journal of E-business and Management Science, 1(2), 94-104.
Stoliar, T. (2025). Tax Planning in International eCommerce: Analysis of Optimization Approaches and Their Impact on Business Competitiveness. Emerging Economics and Management, 01-11.
Sumantri, E., Samudra, A. A., & Suradika, A. (2024). Global tax avoidance and evasion: A landscape through insights from a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(9), 8073.
Tang, W. (2024). Three Essays on Firm Financing and Growth (Doctoral dissertation, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des hautes études commerciales).
Thrall, C. (2021, November). Spillover effects in international law: evidence from tax planning. In International Studies Association Conference, virtual, Apr (Vol. 6, p. 9).
Tumewang, Y. K. (2025). Task force on climate-related financial disclosures, carbon performance, market performance, and tax avoidance: A systematic literature review and empirical studies (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton).
Tumewang, Y. K., Ntim, C. G., & Haque, F. Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, Carbon Performance and Corporate Tax Avoidance. Carbon Performance and Corporate Tax Avoidance.
Uwamusi, J. A. Navigating Complex Regulatory Frameworks to Optimize Legal Structures while Minimizing Tax Liabilities and Operational Risks for Startups.
Vanquaethem, T., & Heirbrandt-Van Rijsseghem, L. THE IMPACT OF FINANCING CONSTRAINTS ON CORPORATE TAX AVOIDANCE.
Vargas, R. J. P. (2025). Strategies for Balancing Cost Management and Employee Retention in Mexico’s Electronics Industry Amid Minimum Wage Increases. Law and Economy, 4(2), 16-23.
Wibowo, A. S., & Suwardi, E. Do Sustainability Performing Firms Avoid Tax More?.
Yang, L., & Di, J. (2025). Green supply chains and high-quality development of enterprises under tax reduction and fee decrease. International Review of Economics & Finance, 98(C).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Eko Tama Saratian, Purno Murtopo, Imam Dwi Yulianto, Indra Pahala, Agung Wahyu Handaru

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish their manuscripts in this journal agree to the following conditions:
- The copyright on each article belongs to the author(s).
- The author acknowledges that the Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting (DIJEFA) has the right to be the first to publish with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors can submit articles separately, arrange for the non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (e.g., sent to the author's institutional repository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript has been published for the first time in the Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting (DIJEFA).