Tax incentives, common institutional ownership, and corporate ESG performance

Abstract Against the backdrop of sustainable development, enterprises, the general public, and regulatory bodies are exhibiting an escalating level of concern regarding the performance in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance collectively referred to as ESG (Environmental, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Governance). This research, from the vantage point of external fiscal policy, investigates the examination of the impact of tax incentives on corporate ESG performance. Drawing upon panel data spanning from 2010 to 2021 at the level of China's A‐share listed companies and grounded in the context of accelerated depreciation policy for fixed assets, this study commitment to both identify and empirically test the presence of a significant positive correlation between tax incentives and corporate ESG performance. Our analysis of the financial mechanism and the Research and Development (R&D) mechanism reveals that tax incentives are instrumental in alleviating the financing constraints faced by corporations, thereby augmenting their financial performance. Furthermore, they serve to intensify R&D efforts, thereby fostering the generation of green innovations. In conclusion, our findings underscore that tax incentive policies significantly enhance the ESG performance of enterprises with common institutional shareholdings, an effect attributed to the presence of governance and synergy effects.