Tax Increment Financing in Missouri: An Analysis of Determinants, Competitive Dynamics, Equity, and Path Dependency

Tax increment financing (TIF) has been a popular and controversial economic development tool for several decades. This research considers the determinants of competitive dynamics, equity, and path dependency on TIF use. The authors use logistic and ordinary least squares regressions on the approval, number, and value of TIFs in Missouri to flesh out the competitive dynamics, effects on intermunicipal inequality, and path dependency of TIF use. They find that there are competitive dynamics that affect TIF use: Being adjacent to another city that uses TIF increases the likelihood that a city will approve a TIF. The study finds evidence that TIF adoption patterns contribute to intermunicipal inequality, and it provides some support for the importance of path dependency in TIF use.