market valuation of the effect of the tax amortizability of purchased goodwill

This study investigates the market valuation of the effect of goodwill tax amortization on corporate acquisitions. Specifically, the study tests whether a significant positive change exists in the market reaction to acquisitions qualifying for the Internal Revenue Code section 197. Two methodologies are employed in the examination of the market assessment of the effect of the Internal Revenue Code section 197. First, a market model methodology is utilized in order to pre examine whether the market reacted differently to acquisitions that qualified for goodwill tax deductibility relative to acquisitions that did not. Second, multiple regression models were obtained for testing the study's hypotheses. The results of this study support the hypothesis that a positive change exists in the market reaction to acquisitions that qualify for the internal revenue code 197 relative to those that do not. There are two implications for these findings. First, they imply that acquiring firms did retain some of the tax benefits associated with the change in the tax law. Second, and given the findings of previous studies, the findings of this study also imply that the expected tax savings are actually shared between the acquiring firm and the target's shareholders.