Is Tax Avoidance Related to Firm Risk?

2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Guenther ◽  
Steven R. Matsunaga ◽  
Brian M. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Stock Volatility ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Avoidance Strategies ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT We test whether tax avoidance strategies are associated with greater firm risk. We find that low tax rates tend to be more persistent than high tax rates and that measures of tax avoidance commonly used in the literature are generally not associated with either future tax rate volatility or future overall firm risk. Our evidence suggests that, on average, corporate tax avoidance is accomplished using strategies that are persistent and do not increase firm risk. We also find that the volatility of cash tax rates is associated with future stock volatility, suggesting that tax rate volatility and overall firm risk are related. JEL Classifications: M41.

The Political Economy of Taxation: Some Evidence for Canada

1988 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Blais ◽  
François Vaillancourt
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Canadian Manufacturing ◽  
The Relationship

The article examines the determinants of variations in the effective average tax rate among Canadian manufacturing industry. It replicates a previous study (Salomon and Siegfried, 1977) on the U.S. corporate tax that found relationships between the economic structure and tax avoidance rates. Some methodological problems in the study are identified, which raise doubts about their conclusions. It is shown that effective tax rates fluctuate substantially over time and that the results may be sensitive to the year selected for analysis. As a consequence, tax-avoidance rates are regressed against a number of independent variables in two different years: 1974 and 1979. The overall weakness of the relationship is striking. With our best measure of the tax-avoidance rate, 2 out of 12 variables are significant in 1974 and one in 1979. These findings suggests that the corporate income tax may not be as important an instrument of industrial policy as it is sometimes claimed to be.

Long-Run Corporate Tax Avoidance

2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D. Dyreng ◽  
Michelle Hanlon ◽  
Edward L. Maydew
Keyword(s):  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Effective Tax Rate ◽  
Initial Examination ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Sample Mean ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Long Run

We develop and describe a new measure of long-run corporate tax avoidance that is based on the ability to pay a low amount of cash taxes per dollar of pre-tax earnings over long time periods. We label this measure the “long-run cash effective tax rate.” We use the long-run cash effective tax rate to examine (1) the extent to which some firms are able to avoid taxes over periods as long as ten years, and (2) how predictive one-year tax rates are for long-run tax avoidance. In our sample of 2,077 firms, we find there is considerable cross-sectional variation in tax avoidance. For example, approximately one-fourth of our sample firms are able to maintain long-run cash effective tax rates below 20 percent, compared to a sample mean tax rate of approximately 30 percent. We also find that annual cash effective tax rates are not very good predictors of long-run cash effective tax rates and, thus, are not accurate proxies for long-run tax avoidance. While there is some evidence of persistence in annual cash effective tax rates, the persistence is asymmetric. Low annual cash effective tax rates are more persistent than are high annual cash effective tax rates. An initial examination of characteristics of firms successful at keeping their cash effective tax rates low over long periods shows that they are well spread across industries but with some clustering.

The Governance of Accounting Rules and Tax Rules: Analysis of SMEs' Tax Avoidance Strategies

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
Hariyanti D. ◽  
Rohaya M.N ◽  
Normah O. ◽  
Rozainun A.A.
Keyword(s):  
Reporting System ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Avoidance Strategies ◽  
Tax Gap ◽  
Accounting Rules ◽  
The Government ◽  
Statutory Tax Rate

Objective- This study examined the governance of accounting rules and tax rules on the level of tax burdens paid by SMEs in Malaysia. According to the tax gap theory, taxpayers utilize the different rules between accounting and tax which is known as the dual reporting system in their tax avoidance strategies in order to pay lower taxes. The tax gap is the difference between the statutory tax rate (STR) and effective tax rates (ETRs). Methodology/Technique - This study analysed financial statements of 148 SMEs (740 firm-years) prepared for the years 2008 to 2012. Findings The statistical results revealed that the dual reporting system had caused a significant gap between the STR (the tax rate that SMEs supposed to pay) and ETRs (the actual tax rates paid by SMEs) in the Malaysia tax system. In addition, the findings provided evidence of the tax avoidance strategies utilised by SMEs which cause lower ETRs as follows: exempt income and tax incentives, disallowable expenses, absorbed losses and capital allowances, deferred tax expenses, size and leverage. Thus, the findings confirmed the tax gap theory in the SMEs tax system which implied a loss of tax revenue to the government due to tax avoidance activities. Findings The findings had provided useful feedbacks to the policymakers such as accounting bodies and the relevant tax authorities to address the issue and realign the two systems which are accounting standards and tax system to minimize the gap. Type of Paper Empirical paper Keywords: , Dual Reporting System; ETRs; SMEs; STR; Tax Gap

scholarly journals Corporate Taxation and the International Challenge

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-131
Author(s):  
Peter Koerver Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Income Tax ◽  
Transfer Pricing ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Profit Shifting ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Avoidance Measures

Abstract It is argued th**at the higher degree of economic integration across borders and the international trend towards a reduction of corporate income tax rates have had a significant impact on the Danish corporate tax regime in recent years. Accordingly, during the last ten years the Danish statutory corporate tax rate has been lowered further, while several government actions at the same time have been taken in order to combat international tax avoidance and evasion. As a result, new anti-avoidance provisions have been introduced and some of the older anti-avoidance provisions have been tightened in order to prevent base erosion and profit shifting. Thus, to some extent Denmark has already tried to address a number of the key pressure areas mentioned in the recently published OECD BEPS report, such as international mismatches in entity and instrument characterization, the tax treatment of related party debt financing, transfer pricing and the effectiveness of anti-avoidance measures. However, the article concludes that these anti-avoidance provisions often suffer from being quite complex, very broad in scope and open to criticism from an EU law perspective.

Effective Tax Rate Time Trends and its Determinants: Insight From The Corporate Taxpayer Utilising Reinvestment Allowance In Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-46
Author(s):  
Fairus Halizam A. Hamzah ◽  
Nadiah Abd Hamid ◽  
Siti Noorhayati Mohamed Zawawi
Keyword(s):  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Revenue ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Effective Tax Rate ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Tax Incentive ◽  
Utilisation Rate ◽  
Tax Deduction

This study aims to provide evidence on the trend in corporate tax revenue from the application of time-trend analysis of effective tax rate (ETR) amongst corporate taxpayers in Malaysia who claimed reinvestment allowance (RA) over a decade between 2007 and 2016. This study chose these observation periods because the Malaysian corporate STR has been found to have gradually reduced from 27 per cent to 24 per cent between 2007 to 2016, whereby these changes somehow impacted the tax revenue. Taxpayers who used RA for tax planning pay low taxes over time, determined through tax return data. Then, the study intended to examine the relationships between certain tax attributes, namely, company's profitability (ROA), the reinvestment allowance utilisation rate (RAUTI), type of corporate taxpayers (TPP), the book-tax gap (BTG) and how they associate to the trend in ETR. Reinvestment Allowance (RA) is renowned for being a corporate tax incentive in Malaysia to encourage investments in qualified projects through a tax deduction. An incentivised firm that pays low tax may not be engaging in fraudulent management, as generally assumed. However, it could have been due to tax avoidance strategies that can be observed through reduced or lowered effective tax rate (ETR) across ten years. Keywords: Effective Tax Rates, Tax Avoidance, Reinvestment Allowance, Tax Incentive, Taxation.

scholarly journals The Interplay Between Tax Havens, Geographic Disclosures and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from European Union

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameh Kobbi-Fakhfakh
Keyword(s):  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Effective Tax Rate ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Tax Havens ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Tax Haven

Abstract This study examines the interplay between tax haven use, geographic disclosures and corporate tax avoidance. Based on a panel of 497 non-financial EU listed firms during the period 2006–2012, we provide evidence that corporate groups with affiliates in tax havens tend to have lower effective tax rates and lower geographic disclosures fineness scores. We, also, find a positive association between geographic disclosures fineness scores and the firms’ effective tax rates. We, further, find that the negative association between tax haven use and the effective tax rate is more pronounced for firms disclosing geographic information at a more aggregated level, showing a moderating effect of geographic disclosures fineness on such association. Our findings are based upon hand-collected data on corporate geographical dispersion, and corroborated by several additional and robustness tests. The research results should be of concern to policymakers and others interested in multinational companies’ segment reporting practices and tax planning activities.

Can Paying “Too Much” or “Too Little” Tax Contribute to Forced CEO Turnover?

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Chyz ◽  
Fabio B. Gaertner
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Ceo Turnover ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Forced Turnover ◽  
Reputational Costs ◽  
Jel Classifications ◽  
Reputational Concerns

ABSTRACT Our study examines the effect of corporate tax outcomes on forced CEO turnover. While prior research argues that firms often do not engage in tax avoidance due to reputational concerns, the empirical evidence suggesting the existence of reputational costs is scarce. In a broad sample of firms, we find evidence of a relation between the payment of low taxes and forced turnover. We also find that forced CEO turnover is more likely when the firm pays a high tax rate relative to its peers. Our results are consistent with the existence of previously unexplored individual reputational costs for not engaging in tax avoidance. JEL Classifications: M40; H25.

A Study of Perceived Ethicality of Low Corporate Effective Tax Rates

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Todd DeZoort ◽  
Troy J. Pollard ◽  
Edward J. Schnee
Keyword(s):  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
General Public ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Perceived Fairness ◽  
Effective Tax Rate ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Participant Group

SYNOPSIS U.S. corporations have the ability to avoid paying domestic taxes to achieve an effective tax rate that is much lower than the statutory federal tax rate. This study evaluates the extent that individuals differ in their attitudes about the ethicality of corporations avoiding domestic taxes to achieve low effective tax rates. We also examine the extent to which the specific tax avoidance method used by corporations to access a low effective tax rate affects perceived ethicality. Eighty-two members of the general public and 112 accountants participated in an experiment with two participant groups and three tax avoidance methods manipulated randomly between subjects. The results indicate a significant interaction between participant group and tax avoidance method, with the general public considering shifting profits out of the country to achieve a low effective tax rate to be highly unethical, while the accountants find tax avoidance from carrying forward prior operating losses to be highly ethical. Further, mediation analysis indicates that perceived fairness and legality mediate the effects of participant type on perceived ethicality. Mediation analysis also reveals that sense of fairness and legality mediate the link between tax avoidance method and perceived ethicality. We conclude by considering the study's policy, practice, and research implications.

scholarly journals PENGARUH PENGHINDARAN PAJAK TERHADAP BIAYA HUTANG PASCA PERUBAHAN TARIF PAJAK BADAN PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Nining Purwanti
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Cost Of Debt ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Rate Reduction ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Study Find ◽  
Tax Reduction ◽  
The Cost

The aim of the research is to analyze tax avoidance behavior to cost of debt moderated by tax rates changes, on manufacturing company in Indonesia in 2008-2010. Panel data analysis is used in this research. In this study usingbook tax gap to measure tax avoidance and using the models used by Lim (2010), Dwi Martani (2011) and Widya Sartika (2012) to meansure cost of debt. The study find that tax avoidance has negative influence on cost of debt. Tax avoidance creates a risk thereby increasing the cost of debt. In the period before tax rate reduction the influence of tax avoidance on cost of debt smaller compare after period of tax reduction, this indicates the presence of earning management conducted by the company before tax rate reduction.

Visualization of tax avoidance and tax rate convergence

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chika Saka ◽  
Tomoki Oshika ◽  
Masayuki Jimichi
Keyword(s):  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Tax Rates ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Convergence Trend

Purpose This study aims to explore the evidence of the probability of firms’ tax avoidance and the downward convergence trend of national statutory tax rates and firms’ effective tax rates. Design/methodology/approach This research employs exploratory data analysis using interactive data manipulation and visualization tools, namely, R with SparkR, dplyr, ggplot2 and googleVis (GeoChart and Motion Chart) packages. This analysis is based on the world-scale accounting data of all listed firms from 148 countries spanning 30 years. Findings The results reveal the following: three types of evidences on probability of firms’ tax avoidance, showing a non-random distribution of firms’ effective tax rates and return on assets, cross-sectional variation of firms’ effective tax rates in each country, and the trend of difference between effective tax rates and statutory tax rates, and the downward convergence trend of statutory tax rates and firms’ effective tax rates. Practical implications The results highlight the prominent issues of world-scale tax avoidance and tax rate competition and facilitate a collaborative discussion between laymen and professionals using objective evidence. Originality/value A novel methodology is adopted through the visualization of world-scale accounting data, which can facilitate a new perspective, revealing unexpected patterns and trends in otherwise hidden information. This study also highlights the importance of global consideration of firms’ tax avoidance and tax rate competition, using objective evidence.

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