법인세 주석을 활용한 기업의 조세부담 분석: 글로벌 반도체 기업 사례를 중심으로

The semiconductor industry is a core sector that determines a country’s competitiveness. Consequently, many countries are implementing national-level support policies, including tax support, to enhance the competitiveness of their domestic semiconductor industries. However, recent newspaper articles report that Korean semiconductor companies are burdened with excessive corporate taxes compared to their global competitors, which undermines the competitiveness of both the industries and the companies. This study compares the tax burdens of global semiconductor companies using income tax footnotes and identifies the reasons behind the differences in tax burdens. By analyzing the effective corporate tax rates(ETRs) for the 2021 fiscal year, we find that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have ETRs of 25.5% and 28.3%, respectively, while TSMC and Intel have ETRs of 10% and 8.5%, respectively. When considering the current ETR, which is calculated by dividing the current corporate tax expenses by pre-tax income, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have current ETRs of 20.5% and 25.4%, respectively, for 2021, while TSMC and Intel have current ETRs of 13.5% and 11.9%, respectively. The higher tax burdens faced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix compared to their competitors can be attributed to differences in statutory tax rates, tax deductions and credits, taxation of foreign income, and other factors. This case study contributes to the literature by evaluating the level of tax burden for companies and analyzing their tax strategies using financial statements. Given that tax is an important factor in determining competitiveness, this study has important policy implications for evaluating the need and direction of tax reform to enhance the competitiveness of companies and countries.