WHU
In 2019 the former Chair of Taxation was renamed as adidas Chair of Finance, Accounting, and Taxation. The Chair aims at promoting its three major fields of research by providing solid scientific foundations, conveying them by teaching and not least promoting the exchange with the business practice.

When working in the fields of economics, finance, and accounting, taxation is an important aspect. Tax policy has a major impact on the behaviour of individuals and decisions of companies.
For example, corporate and personal taxes influence corporate location decisions, the distribution of profits in multinational corporations, capital structure, dividend policy, and corporate investments. Individuals decide for whom they work, whether to emigrate or become self-employed. All these decisions are influenced by taxes.

High-quality and innovative research – Deepening the understanding of the effects of taxation

The adidas Chair of Finance, Accounting and Taxation aims at deepening the understanding of the effects of taxation. The Chair‘s research and teaching relates to the three subjects economics, finance, and accounting. First, the Chair‘s research relates to the economics literature on individual tax evasion and tax avoidance decisions. Second, teaching and research focus on finance topics, for example, the effects of taxes on payout policies and investment policies of firms. Third, the Chair‘s research focuses on the role of taxes in accounting, in particular, on the effect of accounting norms on tax revenues and the valuation relevance of tax accounting.

The main research focuses of the Chair are:

  • Taxation and investment decisions
  • Taxation and payout policies
  • Capital Gains Taxation
  • Empirical Tax Research

Covering topics on tax effects – Take a look at our recent publications.

Do Consumers Pay the Corporate Tax?

Martin Jacob with Maximilian A. Müller and Thorben Wulff

Firms' Internal Networks and Austerity Spillovers

Martin Jacob with Antonio De Vito and Guosong Xu

Tax Policy Expectations and Investment: Evidence from the 2016 U.S. Election and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore, Stephen Hollander, and Xiang Zheng

Technological Change and Countries' Tax Policy Design

Martin Jacob with Alissa Brühne and Harm Schütt

Public Tax Disclosures and Investor Perceptions

Martin Jacob with Bart Dierynck, Maximilian A. Müller, Christian Peters, and Victor van Pelt

Do personal income taxes affect corporate tax-motivated profit shifting?

Martin Jacob with Antonio De Vito, Lisa Hillmann, and Robert Vossebürger

Do tax incentives reduce investment quality?

Martin Jacob with Sebastian Eichfelder and Kerstin Schneider

Environmental Taxes and Corporate Investment

Martin Jacob with Kira Zerwer

The effect of limited tax loss carryforwards on corporate Investment

Martin Jacob with Lisa Hillmann

Federal Corporate Tax Enforcement and Local Business Activity

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore

How effective are emission taxes in reducing air pollution?

Martin Jacob with Thilo Erbertseder, Kira Zerwer, and Hannes Taubenböck

Corporate Tax Planning and Product Market Competition

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore, Jesse van der Geest, and Christian Peters

Do Consumers Pay the Corporate Tax?

Martin Jacob with Maximilian A. Müller and Thorben Wulff

Firms' Internal Networks and Austerity Spillovers

Martin Jacob with Antonio De Vito and Guosong Xu

Tax Policy Expectations and Investment: Evidence from the 2016 U.S. Election and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore, Stephen Hollander, and Xiang Zheng

Technological Change and Countries' Tax Policy Design

Martin Jacob with Alissa Brühne and Harm Schütt

Public Tax Disclosures and Investor Perceptions

Martin Jacob with Bart Dierynck, Maximilian A. Müller, Christian Peters, and Victor van Pelt

Do personal income taxes affect corporate tax-motivated profit shifting?

Martin Jacob with Antonio De Vito, Lisa Hillmann, and Robert Vossebürger

Do tax incentives reduce investment quality?

Martin Jacob with Sebastian Eichfelder and Kerstin Schneider

Environmental Taxes and Corporate Investment

Martin Jacob with Kira Zerwer

The effect of limited tax loss carryforwards on corporate Investment

Martin Jacob with Lisa Hillmann

Federal Corporate Tax Enforcement and Local Business Activity

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore

How effective are emission taxes in reducing air pollution?

Martin Jacob with Thilo Erbertseder, Kira Zerwer, and Hannes Taubenböck

Corporate Tax Planning and Product Market Competition

Martin Jacob with John Gallemore, Jesse van der Geest, and Christian Peters
3:12 corporations in Sweden, 2014, Report to the Expert Group for Public Economics, Ministry of Finance, Stockhol

The effects of the 2006 tax reform on investments, job creation, and business start-ups

Martin Jacob with Annette Alstadsæter and Altin Vejsiu
Review of Law & Economics, 2019, 15(1), S. 1-46

Takeover Protection and Firm Value.

Martin Jacob, Christian Andres, Lennart Ulrich
3:12 corporations in Sweden, 2014, Report to the Expert Group for Public Economics, Ministry of Finance, Stockhol

The effects of the 2006 tax reform on investments, job creation, and business start-ups

Martin Jacob with Annette Alstadsæter and Altin Vejsiu
Review of Law & Economics, 2019, 15(1), S. 1-46

Takeover Protection and Firm Value.

Martin Jacob, Christian Andres, Lennart Ulrich

Adidas and WHU – Business and Research in constant exchange

As a result of the cooperation between WHU and the adidas Group, which was inaugurated in September 2019, the former Chair of Business Taxation was renamed as adidas Chair of Finance, Accounting, and Taxation.
One of its goals is to deepen the interaction between research, education, and business practice. 
For this purpose, presentations and guest lectures of experts from various business units of the adidas Group take place regularly. On these occasions, they present best cases and share essential experiences from their daily business practice to the students.
Furthermore, the cooperation with adidas focuses on fostering the students´ practical competences in the field of Finance, Accounting, and Taxation, in order to endow them with crucial insights into the industry of consumer goods.
Besides, the adidas Group regularly offers topics, which can be handled in the context of a thesis-internship-combination program. Students can also apply for a mere internship, whether with a duration of three months in summer or six months during a gap year.

Faculty exchange with adidas

Mutual professional exchange is a fundamental part of the cooperation between adidas AG and WHU- Otto Beisheim School of Management.
A clear focus on imparting practical knowledge is deeply rooted in the principles of our business school. Therefore, guest lectures are an important pillar of our teaching.
On a regular basis, experts from adidas visit lectures and other events on both WHU campuses sharing exclusive business insights from one of the world´s leading sportswear manufacturers.

adidas internship experiences

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Sven Klijer
Bachelor of Science 2020
"From day one, all the way to the end of my three-month internship, I felt like an integral part of the adidas family and had a tremendous impact with my work as part of the Strategic Finance team. I had the opportunity to work on topics such as adidas' credit rating and the financial modelling of the 2025 strategy. As soon as the "World of Sports" campus reopened, we were able to use the company's gym, the tennis court or a variety of other sport facilities after work or during the lunch break. The highlight of my time there was a coffee chat with Harm Ohlmeyer (adidas CFO), who was open to all questions and took the time to get to know the WHU students. The fun continued even after work hours, as the interns got to organize picnics and bond with one another."
Simon Heesen
Bachelor of Science 2020
"Working with my team at adidas was highly enjoyable as we also had opportunities to connect beyond work (virtual breakfasts, going for dinners after the lockdown ended, going for a run after work). I experienced adidas as a very open company that allowed me to approach colleagues, interns and WHU-alumni from completely different business areas and have an exchange with them. I very much enjoyed my time in the global demand planning team, learned a lot on demand planning requirements and will also stay for my master thesis in another team after the internship. For everyone who is thinking about doing an internship at adidas and has some questions, please feel free to contact me via my WHU e-mail!"
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Tax Readings Group
Tax Readings Group
WHU’s Tax Readings Group encourages doctoral students and faculty to discuss new tax research and provide feedback to authors. We meet on a monthly basis to discuss current working papers and correspond with the authors to provide timely and constructive feedback.
Berlin-Vallendar Tax Conference
Berlin-Vallendar Tax Conference
The Berlin-Vallendar Tax Conference was launched by two chairs at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management and Freie Universität Berlin. The conference provides international researchers in Business Taxation the opportunity to discuss current research trends.
Learn more
WHU Financial Accounting and Tax Center (FAccT)
WHU Financial Accounting and Tax Center (FAccT)
The WHU FAccT Center is dedicated to generating and disseminating scientific knowledge about the economic consequences of financial accounting and taxation that is relevant to students, practitioners and policy makers.

Innovation on the move – Keep up with the latest events and activities

Strongest in Research Economists Under the Age of 40

Strongest in Research Economists Under the Age of 40

WirtschaftsWoche honors Professor Martin Jacob

 
Prof. Dr. Martin Jacob

Incredible Honor for Professor Martin Jacob

WHU professor becomes first European editor for tax at The Accounting Review

 
Top Placements for WHU in Ranking of Economists

Top Placements for WHU in Ranking of Economists

Eight WHU faculty members appear in the WirtschaftsWoche’s researchers ranking; Martin Jacob the young star in business administration

 

Our team

Constance Kehne
Constance Kehne
Doctoral Student / Research Assistant
Thorben Wulff
Thorben Wulff
Doctoral Student / Research Assistant
Kira Zerwer
Kira Zerwer
Doctoral Student / Research Assistant
Steffen Große
Steffen Große
External Doctoral Student
Professor Frank Hechtner
Professor Frank Hechtner
Diplom-Ökonom Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Fachbereich Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften
Sven Westphälinger
Sven Westphälinger
Partner International Tax, KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft