Abstract: Focusing on listed A-share companies in China's western region from 2013 to 2022, this study employs a bidirectional fixed-effect model to empirically analyze the nonlinear relationship between tax refunds and corporate green innovation. The findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between tax refunds and corporate green innovation, indicating that tax refunds effectively stimulate green innovation within a moderate range. Heterogeneous analysis demonstrates that the impact of tax refunds is significantly greater for companies with low financing constraints and large asset sizes compared to those with high financing constraints and small asset sizes. Moreover, the influence of tax refunds on non-state-owned enterprises is more pronounced compared to that on state-owned ones. The research conclusions can provide theoretical insights and practical implications for the government in formulating tax refund policies and promoting corporate green innovation.

Key words: tax rebate, green innovation, inverted U-shaped relationship, western region