Abstract: Raising the level of equity financing is the key path for enterprises to activate the capital market, increase the proportion of direct financing and improve the function of the capital market. Then, does the high efficient resource allocation effect of Value-added Tax (VAT) rate simplification help to promote corporate equity financing? By choosing the sample data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2012 to 2021, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the VAT rate simplification policy implemented in 2017 on corporate equity financing. The results show that the implementation of the simplified tax rate policy has significantly promoted the equity financing of enterprises; its influencing mechanism is to improve the internal value of enterprises and the information efficiency, then further improve the equity financing of enterprises. At the same time, the effect of the simplified tax rate policy on promoting equity financing of enterprises is more significant in the enterprises with higher credit discrimination and more applicable tax brackets. In addition, the good institutional environment of capital market has improved the effect of the VAT rate simplification policy on the promotion of corporate equity financing. Specifically, in the groups with a higher degree of marketization and higher degree of capital market openness, the positive effect between the simplified tax rate and corporate equity financing is more significant. Therefore, in the future, it is necessary to continue to optimize the VAT rate simplification policy, formulate differentiated tax supporting policies for different kinds of enterprises, play the combined role of tax reduction policies and the capital market system, and boost investors’ confidence, so as to promote the equity financing of enterprises.

Key words: tax rate simplification, equity financing, enterprises value, information efficiency.