Do Investors Use Prior Tax Avoidance when Pricing Tax Loss Carryforwards?

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean T. McGuire ◽  
Stevanie S. Neuman ◽  
Adam J. Olson ◽  
Thomas C. Omer

ABSTRACT The Internal Revenue Code allows firms to carry excess tax losses forward to offset future taxable income and reduce taxes. Consistent with tax loss carryforwards (TLCFs) creating a significant asset, prior research finds that investors positively value TLCFs. However, investors face significant uncertainty about whether firms will have sufficient future taxable income to benefit from TLCFs. We hypothesize that investors' valuation of new TLCFs will vary with firms' prior tax avoidance behavior because it signals firms' abilities to generate taxable income to offset TLCFs through tax planning. We confirm that investors assign a positive value to new TLCFs and find that investors' valuation varies with firms' prior tax avoidance behavior. Investors positively value TLCFs when firms exhibit high variability in prior tax avoidance and high levels of prior tax avoidance. Our results are incremental to the effect of changes in the valuation allowance on investors' valuation of new TLCFs. JEL Classifications: M40; M41; M49. Data Availability: Data used in this study are available from public sources identified in the paper.

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Mayberry ◽  
Sean T. McGuire ◽  
Thomas C. Omer

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether the smoothness of estimated taxable income influences its value relevance. Contrary to research that finds that smoothness enhances the value relevance of book income, we find that smoothness reduces the value relevance of taxable income. We decompose the smoothness of taxable income into its innate and discretionary components and find that innate smoothness is not associated with the value relevance of taxable income. However, we find that discretionary smoothness is associated with a reduction in taxable income's value relevance, suggesting that discretionary smoothness either eliminates or reduces the information contained in taxable income. In additional analysis, we find that discretionary smoothness is also associated with higher levels of future tax avoidance, consistent with managers smoothing taxable income as part of their tax avoidance strategy. In combination, our results suggest that the reduced value relevance of estimated taxable income is a byproduct of managers' tax-planning strategy. JEL Classifications: G32; H25; H32; M41.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
Doron Narotzki ◽  
Melanie G. McCoskey

ABSTRACT The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has created a unique opportunity to utilize Code Section 304 and Code Section 245A as powerful tax-planning tools. By utilizing the rules established for redemptions between related corporations under the anti-abuse provisions of Code Section 304 combined with the new 100 percent DRD of Code Section 245A, extracting earnings from affiliated foreign corporations tax-free has never been easier. This paper explains how these two code sections interact with each other and the resulting ability to extract certain foreign-sourced earnings tax-free. It also identifies incentives created by the TCJA to operate profitable businesses overseas and expected loss operations in the U.S. Finally, the paper offers a legislative change to close the tax avoidance loophole created by the TCJA. JEL Classifications: H2.


2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda H. Chen ◽  
Dan S. Dhaliwal ◽  
Mark A. Trombley

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effect of tax planning and earnings management on the informativeness of book income and taxable income. We conduct two sets of tests documenting (1) the incremental effect of tax planning and earnings management on the informativeness of book and taxable income, and (2) the relation between the consistency of the book-tax difference and the informativeness of book and taxable income. The consistency of the book-tax difference depends on firm decisions regarding incremental earnings management and tax planning. Consistency of the book-tax difference is measured as the standard deviation of the discretionary component of the difference between book income and taxable income. Our results show that consistency of the book-tax difference, as a measure of the joint effect of earnings management and tax planning, is related to persistence of both book and tax income and has an incremental effect on information content of both book income and taxable income. JEL Classifications: G12; G32; H24; H25.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Edwards

ABSTRACT In this study, I provide evidence that the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets helps predict the future creditworthiness of a firm. Under the provisions of SFAS No. 109, a firm records a deferred tax asset provided it expects to generate sufficient taxable income to realize the asset in the form of tax savings in the future. If a firm does not expect to generate sufficient taxable income to realize the asset, then a valuation allowance is created to reduce the balance. As a result, the valuation allowance indicates management's expectation of future taxable income, which could be informative in predicting the ability of the firm to make future interest and principal payments on debt. Alternatively, the valuation allowance may not be informative regarding creditworthiness if it is a result of overly conservative accounting practices or if it is used as an earnings management tool. I document a negative association between material increases in the valuation allowance and contemporaneous and future changes in credit ratings, evidence that is consistent with the valuation allowance providing a summary measure of a decline in firms' creditworthiness. JEL Classifications: G29; H25; M41. Data Availability: Data are available from sources identified in the paper.


Author(s):  
Andrey Araujo ◽  
Diones Kleinibing Bugalho ◽  
Francieli Morlin Bugalho ◽  
Januario José Monteiro

A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo identificar o regime tributário que fosse menos oneroso à uma indústria de confecções, ou seja, ocasionando a menor carga tributária. Com a finalidade de realizar o planejamento tributário, foram efetuadas diversas consultas em pesquisas existentes e nas legislações aplicáveis, para que tudo fosse praticado por meios legais, sendo caracterizada pela elisão fiscal, trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, onde os dados da pesquisa foram coletados através do sistema eletrônico de processamento de dados, relatórios, balanços e demonstrações contábeis. O período analisado refere-se ao ano de 2018, pelo qual foram efetuados os cálculos pelo regime tributário Lucro Real o pela contabilidade responsável pela empresa. Foram comparados os valores dos tributos de PIS, COFINS, IRPJ, CSLL, ICMS, IPI e CPP, onde ocorreu os comparativos entre os regimes de tributação Lucro Real e Lucro Presumido, com a finalidade de demonstrar o melhor regime aplicável. Os resultados indicam que o melhor regime tributário para o período analisado foi o Lucro Real, identificando que está enquadrada na melhor forma de apuração. Palavras-Chave: Lucro Real. Lucro Presumido. Regime Tributário. Tributos.   Abstract: The present research aimed to identify the tax regime that would be less costly to a clothing industry, that is, causing the lowest tax burden. In order to carry out tax planning, several consultations were carried out in existing research and in the applicable legislation, so that everything could be practiced by legal means, being characterized by tax avoidance, it is a qualitative research, where the research data were collected through the electronic data processing system, reports, balance sheets and financial statements. The period analyzed refers to the year 2018, where calculations have already been made under the taxable profit regime by the accounting responsible for the company. The values ​​of the PIS, COFINS, IRPJ, CSLL, ICMS, IPI and CPP taxes were compared, where the comparisons between the taxable income tax system and the presumed income tax occurred, in order to demonstrate the best applicable regime. The results indicate that the best tax regime for the period analyzed is the Real Profit, identifying that it is framed in the best form of calculation. Keywords: Real Profit. Presumed profit. Tax regime. Taxes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 29-47
Author(s):  
Shou-Min Tsao ◽  
Hsueh-Tien Lu ◽  
Edmund C. Keung

SYNOPSIS This study examines the association between mandatory financial reporting frequency and the accrual anomaly. Based on regulatory changes in reporting frequency requirements in Taiwan, we divide our sample period into three reporting regimes: a semiannual reporting regime from 1982 to 1985, a quarterly reporting regime from 1986 to 1987, and a monthly reporting regime (both quarterly financial reports and monthly revenue disclosure) from 1988 to 1993. We find that although both switches (from the semiannual reporting regime to the quarterly reporting regime and from the quarterly reporting regime to the monthly reporting regime) hasten the dissemination of the information contained in annual accruals into stock prices and reduce annual accrual mispricing, the switch to monthly reporting has a lesser effect. Our results are robust to controlling for risk factors, transaction costs, and potential changes in accrual, cash flow persistence, and sample composition over time. These results imply that more frequent reporting is one possible mechanism to reduce accrual mispricing. JEL Classifications: G14; L51; M41; M48. Data Availability: Data are available from sources identified in the paper.


2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 101-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Bethmann ◽  
Martin Jacob ◽  
Maximilian A. Müller

ABSTRACT Tax regimes treat losses and profits asymmetrically when profits are immediately taxed, but losses are not immediately refunded. We find that treating losses less asymmetrically by granting refunds less restrictively increases loss firms' investment: A third of the refund is invested and the rest is held as cash or returned to shareholders. However, the investment response is driven primarily by firms prone to engage in risky overinvestment. Consistent with the risk of misallocation, we find a delayed exit of low-productivity loss firms receiving less restrictive refunds, indicating potential distortion of the competitive selection of firms. This distortion also negatively affects aggregate output and productivity. Our results suggest that stimulating loss firms' investment with refunds unconditional on their future prospects comes at the risk of misallocation. JEL Classifications: G31; H21; H25.


2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Dambra ◽  
Matthew Gustafson ◽  
Phillip J. Quinn

ABSTRACT We examine the prevalence and determinants of CEOs' use of tax-advantaged trusts prior to their firm's IPO. Twenty-three percent of CEOs use tax-advantaged pre-IPO trusts, and share transfers into tax-advantaged trusts are positively associated with CEO equity wealth, estate taxes, and dynastic preferences. We project that pre-IPO trust use increases CEOs' dynastic wealth by approximately $830,000, on average. We next examine a simple model's prediction that trust use will be positively related to IPO-period stock price appreciation. We find that trust use is associated with 12 percent higher one-year post-IPO returns, but is not significantly related to the IPO's valuation, filing price revision, or underpricing. This evidence is consistent with CEOs' personal finance decisions prior to the IPO containing value-relevant information that is not immediately incorporated into market prices. JEL Classifications: D14; G12; G32; M21; M41. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.


2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Driskill ◽  
Marcus P. Kirk ◽  
Jennifer Wu Tucker

ABSTRACT We examine whether financial analysts are subject to limited attention. We find that when analysts have another firm in their coverage portfolio announcing earnings on the same day as the sample firm (a “concurrent announcement”), they are less likely to issue timely earnings forecasts for the sample firm's subsequent quarter than analysts without a concurrent announcement. Among the analysts who issue timely earnings forecasts, the thoroughness of their work decreases as their number of concurrent announcements increases. In addition, analysts are more sluggish in providing stock recommendations and less likely to ask questions in earnings conference calls as their number of concurrent announcements increases. Moreover, when analysts face concurrent announcements, they tend to allocate their limited attention to firms that already have rich information environments, leaving behind firms in need of attention. Overall, our evidence suggests that even financial analysts, who serve as information specialists, are subject to limited attention. JEL Classifications: G10; G11; G17; G14. Data Availability: Data are publicly available from the sources identified in the paper.


2013 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Brown ◽  
Katharine D. Drake

ABSTRACT This study examines (1) whether network ties help explain variation in tax avoidance, and (2) how the relation between network ties and tax avoidance varies depending on the nature and context of those ties. We posit that information on a range of tax-avoidance strategies is shared among firms through their social network connections. Using board interlocks to proxy for these connections, we find that firms with greater board ties to low-tax firms have lower cash ETRs themselves. Ties to low-tax firms are more influential when the focal firm and its network partner are operationally and strategically similar, as are ties created by executive directors. Board ties to low-tax firms are also more influential when the focal firm and its network partner engage the same local auditor. Overall, our results suggest that the influence of firms' network ties on their tax-avoidance behavior depends on the character of those ties.


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