Purpose: This paper investigates whether China's R&D tax deduction policy triggers firms to manipulate their R&D expenditures upward.Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs the ratio of actual tax savings as a proxy for the benefits of the R&D tax deduction policy based on manually collected and systematically cross-checked data. The relationship between tax benefits and abnormal R&D spending is estimated in a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies for the period 2007–2018.Findings: The findings suggest that tax deductions lead to positive abnormal R&D spending and that this deviation in R&D spending may be attributed to firms' upward R&D manipulation for tax avoidance. The results also indicate that this behavior is more significant for the period after the policy revision, in non-HNTEs (high and new technology enterprises), and in firms with a high ratio of R&D expenses.Research limitations/implications: It is difficult to establish a sophisticated and unified model to identify the specific strategy of upward R&D manipulation that firms use to obtain tax benefits.Practical implications: Managers should take into account upward R&D manipulation when designing governance mechanisms. Policymakers in developing countries may further pursue preferential tax policies that cover every stage of innovation activities gradually; the local provincial governments need to leverage their proximity and flexibility advantages to develop a tax collection and administration system.Originality/value: This study contributes to the understanding of the complex effect of R&D tax incentives and helps more fully illuminate firms' upward R&D manipulation behavior from the perspective of tax planning strategies, which are underexplored in previous research.

This paper aims to examine the inhibiting effects of returnee managers on the R&D manipulation of firms in the Chinese context. Our sample includes stock companies in the Growth Enterprise Market in China from 2009 to 2013. We find that returnee managers can effectively inhibit their company’s R&D manipulation. This is driven mainly by their overseas experience obtained in a country with stronger innovation capabilities, which will be more significant when managers possess technological expertise. The results of our study indicate that establishing a manager team that includes these talents may be an effective approach to improving the innovation ability of Chinese enterprises. Further, policymakers should consider providing a favourable policy environment in which returnees can exert their wisdom and potential after they return.