Do Tax Professionals Act Like Auditors when Evaluating Tax-Related Audit Evidence?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna D. Bobek ◽  
Laura N. Feustel ◽  
Scott D. Vandervelde
Keyword(s):  
Income Tax ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Functional Area ◽  
Professional Skepticism ◽  
Tax Professionals ◽  
Audit Evidence ◽  
Client Advocacy

The audit of the financial statement income tax accounts is ultimately the responsibility of the audit engagement team; however, tax professionals are often involved because of their knowledge of the tax functional area. Auditors are expected to exercise professional skepticism and independence when performing audits, while tax professionals are expected to be advocates for their tax clients. This study investigates whether the auditor and/or tax professionals’ typical role influences how they evaluate evidence on an audit engagement, especially when provided evidence by individuals with whom they are closely affiliated. The results of an experiment with experienced auditors and tax professionals, suggest that despite differing in their trait skepticism and client advocacy attitudes, tax professionals and auditors make similar judgments when in the role of an audit engagement team member. We also find evidence both auditors and tax professionals are more persuaded by individuals with whom they have a closer affiliation.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: A Student Introduction to Federal Tax Compliance and Documentation

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaele L. Morrow ◽  
Shane R. Stinson
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
Tax Compliance ◽  
Personal Income Tax ◽  
Initial Information ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Client Advocacy ◽  
Tax Practice

ABSTRACT In this case, students assume the role of new accounting staff tasked with the preparation of a personal income tax return and supporting documentation for a client of their firm. Students are provided prior year work papers and client communications, a copy of the prior year's tax return, as well as a letter and supporting documents from the client for the current year. To complete the case, students generate questions based on the initial information provided, meet face-to-face with the client, and roll forward a set of electronic work papers before submitting a complete current year engagement file for senior review. This case adds work papers and client interaction to the traditional tax compliance case to reinforce both the technical and communication skills valued in professional practice. The formulation of questions for the client also allows students to practice discussing technical topics in a non-technical manner and underscores the required balance between attitudes of client advocacy stressed in professional tax practice and legal requirements for “good-faith” tax return reporting. This case is appropriate for an individual income tax course at either the undergraduate or graduate level, and can be easily adapted to increase or decrease difficulty.

Xerox, Inc.

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Seipp ◽  
Sean Kinsella ◽  
Deborah L. Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Audit Risk ◽  
Professional Skepticism ◽  
Audit Failure ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Illegal Acts ◽  
Administrative Proceedings

ABSTRACT: This audit case examines an interesting real-life instance of financial statement manipulation by a client (Xerox, Inc.) and the related audit failure by the audit firm (KPMG). The facts of this case are drawn from several SEC Accounting Enforcement and Administrative Proceedings Releases. Learning objectives specific to this case include an increased awareness of the importance of reserves, including when their use is appropriate or inappropriate; better understanding of the role of a concurring partner; improved perception of when departures from GAAP are improper; a heightened awareness of the importance of professional skepticism; the identification of audit risk factors; exposure to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); and identification of illegal acts by a client’s management.

scholarly journals Peran Moral Reasoning dan Skeptisisme Profesional Memoderasi Role Stress Terhadap Perilaku Disfungsional Internal Auditor

2018 ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Christina Ayu Maha Dewi ◽  
Anak Agung Ngurah Bagus Dwirandra
Keyword(s):  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Role Stress ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Professional Skepticism ◽  
Dysfunctional Behavior ◽  
Saturated Sample ◽  
Sample Method ◽  
Moderating Role

Dysfunctional behavior of the auditor should be avoided to produce quality audit findings based on the fairness of a financial statement. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of moral reasoning and professional skepticism moderating role stress on dysfunctional behavior of auditors. This research was conducted in all branch offices of PT Bank BRI Bali-Nusra Area as many as 29 offices by making the auditor as many as 107 people as sample with saturated sample method in test through regression analysis moderation technique (MRA). Based on the results of the analysis, role stress variables have a role in increasing dysfunctional behavior of auditors. Moral reasoning has a role in increasing dysfunctional behavior of auditors. Professional skepticism has a role in increasing dysfunctional behavior of auditors. Moral reasoning and Professional skepticism can strengthen the influence of role stress in increasing dysfunctional behavior of auditors. Keywords: role stress, moral reasoning, professional skepticism, auditor dysfunctional behavior  

scholarly journals PERANAN AKUNTANSI DALAM PERPAJAKAN DI INDONESIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Sutjipto Ngumar
Keyword(s):  
Income Tax ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Business Activity ◽  
Tax Payers ◽  
Main Factor ◽  
General Director ◽  
Public Accountant ◽  
Tax Capacity

This article is presented to tee/ how the important tax as a main factor for planning the 2001 th year government's budget (APBN). Reminding that the Indonesian tax ratio and tax capacity so less, but there are expectant to rise tax income, by grading human re­ sources (SDM) are necessary. For these goals, the role of taxes General Director (Dil­ jen Pajak) and Public Accountant are being hape. The base of income tax calculation is Financial Statement, that is why the Financial Statement which made by tax payers, had to tell the faith and praper business activity. To prepair the best accounting, systemman and the best auditor, the accountant's role is most very important decided.

The Influence of Client Preferences on Tax Professionals' Search for Judicial Precedents, Subsequent Judgments and Recommendations

1999 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bryan Cloyd ◽  
Brian C. Spilker
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
Confirmation Bias ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Tax Professionals ◽  
Tax Returns ◽  
Federal Income Tax ◽  
Client Advocacy ◽  
Advocacy Role

Tax professionals provide valuable services to clients by reducing uncertainty about how clients should report transactions on their tax returns. To reduce uncertainty, tax professionals research applicable authorities (e.g., judicial precedents) and provide assessments to clients of the level of authoritative support for client-favorable positions. Tax professionals have strong incentives to make accurate assessments of the strength of client-preferred positions so that clients will understand the level of risk associated with the reporting position. Further, tax professionals must make accurate assessments of authoritative support in order to maintain compliance with tax professional standards and Federal income tax regulations. Incentives notwithstanding, psychological research on confirmation bias suggests that tax professionals' client advocacy role may inhibit professionals' ability to search objectively for relevant tax authority which, in turn, might inhibit their ability to accurately assess authoritative support. We report the results of two studies that examine causes and effects of confirmation bias in tax information search. In study 1, we find that subjects' information searches emphasized cases with conclusions consistent with the client's desired outcome (i.e., positive cases) over cases inconsistent with the client's desired outcome (i.e., negative cases), despite the fact that positive cases were no more similar to the client's facts. Additional analyses indicate that the extent of this confirmation bias was positively related to their assessments of the likelihood that a neutral court would resolve the issue in the client's favor and this in turn increased the strength with which they recommended the client's preferred tax position. Results of study 2 indicate that confirmation bias induced by client preferences can be strong enough to not only result in inaccurate assessments of authoritative support for the client-favored position, which is problematic in and of itself, but also to lead tax professionals to make overly aggressive recommendations.

The Role of Client Advocacy in the Development of Tax Professionals’ Advice

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna D. Bobek ◽  
Amy M. Hageman ◽  
Richard C. Hatfield
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Client Characteristics ◽  
Attitude Theory ◽  
Primary Responsibility ◽  
Evidence Evaluation ◽  
Tax Professionals ◽  
Decision Outcomes ◽  
Client Advocacy ◽  
Context Specific

ABSTRACT: A primary responsibility of tax professionals is to be an advocate for their clients (AICPA 2000). Prior studies have shown mixed results on how the advocate role influences tax professionals’ decision processes and outcomes (e.g., Cloyd and Spilker 1999; Davis and Mason 2003; Barrick et al. 2004; Kahle and White 2004). In this study, we consider how advocacy may be at least partially context-specific, introduce the construct of client-specific advocacy, and thoroughly examine the influence of advocacy attitudes on a number of steps in the judgment and decision-making process. Consistent with attitude theory, we report experimental results that suggest client characteristics influence tax professionals’ advocacy attitudes. We also find that client-specific advocacy influences process variables such as the weighting of evidence and decision outcomes such as the recommendation of tax advice. The results of the study indicate that tax professionals may be unintentionally influenced by client attributes when making judgments and may have difficulty separating their advocacy and evidence evaluation roles.

Comprehensive Income: which potential effects on firms' performance evaluation and users' decision process?

2016 ◽  
pp. 55-94
Author(s):  
Pier Luigi Marchini ◽  
Carlotta D'Este
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Comprehensive Income ◽  
Other Comprehensive Income ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
The Impact

The reporting of comprehensive income is becoming increasingly important. After the introduction of Other Comprehensive Income (OCI) reporting, as required by the 2007 IAS 1-revised, the IASB is currently seeking inputs from investors on the usefulness of unrealized gains and losses and on the role of comprehensive income. This circumstance is of particular relevance in code law countries, as local pre-IFRS accounting models influence financial statement preparers and users. This study aims at investigating the role played by unrealized gains and losses reporting on users' decision process, by examining the impact of OCI on the Italian listed companies RoE ratio and by surveying a sample of financial analysts, also content analysing their formal reports. The results show that the reporting of comprehensive income does not affect the financial statement users' decision process, although it statistically affects Italian listed entities' performance.

The investment activity of Russian business: Relationships with corporate income tax burden

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 800-823
Author(s):  
A.A. Razuvaeva ◽  
N.V. Pokrovskaya
Keyword(s):  
Income Tax ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Corporate Income Tax ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Tax Burden ◽  
Return On Assets ◽  
Investment Activity ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Tax Benefits

Subject. This article assesses the role of tax incentives for the Russian business' investment behavior. Objectives. The article aims to identify the relationship between the corporate income tax burden as an indicator responding to tax benefits application and the investment activities of Russian companies. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of analysis and synthesis, and the systems approach. The analysis covers the period from 2012 to 2018. The data of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, Federal Tax Service of Russia, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation are the source of information for analysis. Results. The article summarizes the characteristics of the investment activity of the Russian business. However, the article does not reveal any obvious relationship between the income tax burden and the investment activity of the Russian business in the 2010s. There is also no link found between fixed investment and return on assets. Conclusions. The increase in income tax burden in the late 2010s, accompanied by a decrease in profitability, poses a threat to the active investment development of Russian organizations.

Tax evasion in the medical profession An Empirical Study in the General Tax Authority in Iraq

2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. 80-88
Author(s):  
Ramyar Rzgar Ahmed ◽  
Hawkar Qasim Birdawod ◽  
S. Rabiyathul Basariya
Keyword(s):  
Tax Evasion ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Tax Law ◽  
Degree Of Confidence ◽  
Medical Professions ◽  
Shed Light

The study dealt with tax evasion in the medical profession, where the problem was the existence of many cases of tax evasion, especially tax evasion in the income tax of medical professions. The aim of the study is to try to shed light on the phenomenon of tax evasion and the role of the tax authority in the development of controls and means that reduce the phenomenon of tax evasion. The most important results of the low level of tax awareness and lack of knowledge of the tax law and the unwillingness to read it and the sense of taxpayers unfairness of the tax all lead to an increase in cases of tax evasion and in suggested tightening control and follow-up on the offices of auditors, through the investigation and auditing The reports of certified accountants and the use of computers for this purpose in order to raise the degree of confidence in these reports and bring them closer to the required truth and coordination and cooperation with the Union of Accountants and Auditors and inform them about each case of violations of the auditors and accountants N because of its great influence in the rejection of the organization of the accounts and not to ratify fake accounts lead to show taxpayers accounts on a non-truth in order to tax evasion.

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