Although firms account for entity-level taxes, they do not account for shar
eholder-level capital gains and dividend taxes. To account for these propri
etary-level taxes, we add them to a residual-income equity valuation model.
Empirical analysis supports the model's predictions. First, both capital g
ains and dividend taxes reduce investors' implicit valuation of the reinves
ted portion of earnings. Second, dividend taxes reduce the valuation of the
portion of earnings distributed as dividends, but capital gains taxes do n
ot. Third, dividend taxes reduce the valuation of retained earnings equity,
but again, capital gains taxes do not. These findings suggest that investo
rs implicitly extend entity-level accounting to the proprietary level when
they value the firm. The findings also suggest that when fully accounting f
or the effects of implicit dividend taxes, reinvested earnings appear to be
subject to three levels of taxation-corporate, dividend, and capital gains
taxes. Paying earnings out as dividends eliminates the capital gains layer
of tax and may provide a net wealth benefit for shareholders, rather than
a tax penalty as commonly assumed.