Cranking up corporate taxes too far will reduce the incentive for firms to "invest" or "invest in"

Hi,

I read an article from the economist.

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But helping workers by boosting productivity must not be confused with self-defeating attempts to protect them—as happened the last time they had the upper hand, in the 1970s. Repatriating supply chains, as Mr Biden would, will inhibit competition and grind down living standards. 『Cranking up corporate taxes too far will reduce the incentive for firms to invest』. For central banks to lose their inflation-fighting credibility would be a disaster. Just ask the workers who bore the brunt of efforts to tame prices in the 1980s.
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Would it be more proper to write “invest in”?

Cranking up corporate taxes too far will reduce the incentive for firms to invest in.

Because the word “the incentive” in which firms invest.
Moreover, the verb “invest” has some of the patterns like these.
• invest in something.
• invest something(usually money/effort) in something.

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If you add the preposition ‘in’ you also need to add an object such as ‘start-up companies’. Otherwise the addition of the preposition ‘in’ would not be justified.

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Hi,
Ah I understood “the incentive” in this sentence means the first definition in Oxford dictionary.
1-[countable, uncountable] something that encourages you to do something

And then I thought this usage of invest like this.
• invest in something(It is usually where money goes.)
e.g.) She advised us to invest in the property market.

However, I got proved wrong.
According to your reply, in this economist, “the incentive” has the second definition.
2-[countable] a payment or concession (= a reduction in the amount of money that has to be paid) that encourages somebody to do something

Plus, I thought this usage of invest like this.
• invest something(It is usually the money.)
e.g.) If you want to invest your money, you are probably better off with bonds.

So that’s why you are explaining to me as above, right?

PS: I referred to these.

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You should always try and look at the context:

This means that the motivation of companies to reinvest their profits will go down.

In the given context no specifics are given as what the companies will invest less into because that’s not important. The important fact here is that they will be less inclined to reinvest.

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hey this is quite helpful stuff thanks

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