Moderating influence of religiosity on the causality between taxpaying attitudes and tax compliance behaviour of entrepreneurial firms in Nigeria

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the moderating influence of religiosity on the effect of taxpaying attitudes on the tax compliance behaviour of entrepreneurial firms in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-sectional survey design, we collected primary data from 368 owner managers of entrepreneurial firms in Southwest Nigeria using structured questionnaires. Respondents were purposefully selected based on the purposive sampling technique. The data collected with the structured questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Two linear regression models were compared. Findings Estimations in Models 1 and 2 suggest that taxpayers’ attitudes and religiosity (intra- and interreligiosity) have significant effects on the tax compliance behaviour of firms, but the influence of intrareligiosity is insignificant. Estimations in Model 3 suggest that taxpaying attitudes without the moderating influence of religiosity exerted a significant effect on tax compliance behaviour by 13%, while taxpaying attitudes with the moderating influence of religiosity exerted 17%. Estimations in Model 4 suggest that taxpaying attitudes with the moderating influence of the interreligiosity dimension had a more significant contribution to the changes in tax compliance behaviour than the intrareligious dimension. Research limitations/implications From the findings, the following policy implications can be deduced: (i) if taxpayers’ attitudes improved and religiosity was leveraged by the tax authorities, tax compliance behaviour of entrepreneurial firms would be induced in Nigeria; (ii) the consistent positive influence is a strong indication that religious values are critical elements of tax compliance interventions that should be considered by policymakers when designing public policies on tax evasion and avoidance in developing countries. Originality/value We bridge the gaps in the literature because our study affirmed that taxes are religiously driven. In addition, the study validates the applicability of theory of planned behaviour in investigating the moderating influence of religiosity on the causality between taxpaying attitude and tax compliance in the developing context.

Adjusting Financial Reporting in the Perspective of Transferring Financial Transactions to the Cryptocurrency Market

The regulation of the cryptocurrency market is becoming an increasingly debated topic in the context of the transition to the digital economy and the health security procedures adopted by the authorities in this period dominated by the pandemic and economic crisis. In this context, we propose a prospective analysis of the effects of legislative regulation and the shift to the cryptocurrency market as a unit supporting digitization. The methods and procedures used in the analysis aim to obtain the staging of the interaction between the accounting system and the cryptocurrency trading processes. Thus, we will address the issue of the digital economy and the effects produced by it, and the result of this approach will be to identify viable solutions that will prevent certain effects on financial reporting and limit tax evasion or other money laundering techniques as a result of the widespread transition to this trading system. The results obtained will be useful to economic decision-makers and tax authorities concerned with these aspects of economic development.

Environmental regulation and corporate tax avoidance—Evidence from China

In this study, we used a difference-in-difference (DID) approach to analyze the effect of environmental regulation on corporate tax avoidance behavior based on China’s carbon emissions trading pilot policy of 2013. Our findings were as follows: (1) Environmental regulation has led companies to adopt further tax evasion behaviors. Furthermore, the core conclusion was confirmed after a series of robust and endogenous tests, such as parallel trends and PSM-DID (propensity score matching-difference-in-difference). (2) Environmental regulations increase tax avoidance activities by reducing corporate cash flows. (3) The influence of environmental regulation on firm tax evasion is highly pronounced among non-state-owned enterprises, big-scale enterprises, and enterprises with a high degree of industry competition.

Tobacco tax evasion in Western Balkan countries: tax evasion prevalence and evasion determinants

Background and objectiveTobacco tax evasion undermines the goal of tobacco taxes as a tobacco control measure to make tobacco products less affordable, increases the health risks for those who smoke and decreases the government revenue. This paper analyses the tobacco tax evasion in six Western Balkan (WB) countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The aim of this research is to estimate the size of the illicit market and identify the main determinants of tax evasion activities in the Southeastern European region.Data and methodsData from 2019 Survey on Tobacco Consumption in Southeastern Europe (STC-SEE) are used. STC-SEE provides uniquely comparable nationally representative data on smoking behaviour for adult (18–85 years old) population for each country. Tax evasion is defined on the basis of available information on tax stamps, health warnings, price and the place of purchase, in accordance with the previous research on tax evasion. In order to estimate the determinants of illicit purchases we use binary choice model of tax evasion.ResultsThe study finds that 20.4% of all current smokers in WB countries evade taxes on tobacco products, with evasion being much more frequent for hand-rolled (HR) tobacco (86.7%) than for the manufactured cigarettes (MC) (8.6%). While HR is predominantly illicit in all six countries, MC evasion varies significantly, with evasion being significantly higher in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results further suggest that tax evasion is higher in the statistical regions where institutional capacities to tackle illicit trade are lower, in municipalities bordering countries with high MC evasion, as well as among smokers with low income, women and elderly. We also provide evidence that higher tobacco taxes and prices do not increase illicit consumption.ConclusionThe findings from the research suggest that in order to decrease tax evasion, governments should put additional effort to strengthen institutional capacities to tackle illicit tobacco markets. Furthermore, improving regional coordination in development and implementation of tobacco control policies, including the prevention of illicit market, is essential in lowering evasion in all WB countries. Finally, WB countries should regulate and enforce excise tax stamp requirements on the HR tobacco market to a much higher degree.

The Effects of Taxation on Economic Development: the Moderating Role of Tax Compliance Among SMEs

The amount of revenue collected often determines a country's economic growth and development. Taxes continue to be one of the most important constituents in managing nationwide income in emerging and developed nations. In this sense, tax evasion might have serious effects, especially because the global cost of non-compliance by taxpayers is quite significant. Small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) are the backbone of economies around the world, driving economic progress and growth, as well as innovation and wealth creation. The high incidence of tax non-compliance among SMEs, on the other hand, stymies the progress that SMEs are meant to bring to many nations. Thus, the study aim at assessing the effects of taxation on economic development with its moderating role of tax compliance. The descriptive research design with quantitative approach was employed. The population of the study consist is 10,000 SMEs operating in Kumasi currently with a sample size of 400 SMEs. The instrument for data collection in this study was questionnaire. The data that was collected was analysed using SPSS. The findings demonstrated that in formulating strategies to enhance voluntary compliance, it is crucial for the relevant authorities to be aware of, understand and appreciate taxation taxpayers’ compliance behaviour and the need to provide tax education services. The results indicated that tax compliance enhanced the effectiveness of taxation to impact on economic development. The moderating role of tax compliance in the relationship between taxation and economic development was low but positive.

The Quality Effect of Auditing on Tax Compliance: Evidence from Tunisian Context

Taxation is the subject of complex and evolving regulations. it has become one of the major concerns of any business to better manage its finance, the responsible for corporate governance give an importance to the fiscal in the strategy and management of the company. In recent years, the importance of taxation in the financial and accounting environment is motivated to study the impact of control and transparency of infomation affected by audit quality. We study a sample of 19 companies between 2013 and 2017, the result shows that audit quality improves tax compliance in the Tunisian context while measuring tax evasion by the difference between the statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate. This study finds that tax evasion in Tunisian firms may have decreased with better audit quality.

Gender Diversity Effect on Tax Avoidance and Firm Risk

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gender diversity on firm risk with tax avoidance as a mediating variable in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). This study used SPSS version 20.0 to process the data. The sample of this research is 51 manufacturing companies listed on the IDX using multiple regression panel data. This study uses financial statement data for the 2015 – 2019 period. The findings of this study are (1) there is a negative effect of gender diversity on tax avoidance; (2) there is a negative effect of gender diversity on firm risk; (3) there is a positive effect of tax avoidance on firm risk; (4) Gender diversity has an influence on firm risk through tax avoidance. The limitations of this study are as follows: the research sample is only in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with a limited number of samples because during the observation period there are companies that are losing, suspending, and delisting. Therefore, this research suggests that (1) Further research can expand the scope of the research sample or compare it with companies in other industrial sectors. (2) Further research can increase the number of other variables, such as Corporate Social Responsibility by using the Blau-Index measurement (1975) so that the measurement can be more detail and constructive. (3) Further research can use other samples in Asean countries by comparing the success rate of anti-corruption disclosure in ASEAN countries. The practical implications include the following: (1) the role of gender diversity in the company is very necessary for implementing Good Corporate Governance (GCG) thus a healthy company will be created so that the company's risk does not occur in the future. (2) the role of the government is needed in making policies so that companies do not do tax evasion. The originality of the research includes this study, which is the first to analyze gender diversity on firm risk through tax avoidance.

Pandora Papers and the latest European efforts to combat money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance

Following the revelations of the Pandora Papers on offshore financial mechanisms which allow European citizens to avoid paying tax obligations and to commit tax evasion or money laundering offenses, the European Parliament adopted Resolution 2021/2922 (RSP) requiring Member States to take urgent and decisive action, both legislative and investigative, to combat this type of criminal behavior. As a response to the request formulated by the Parliament, the European Commission drafted a Proposal for a council Directive laying down rules to prevent the misuse of shell entities for tax purposes by introducing new monitoring and reporting regulations.

The acts of the EU tax law and double tax treaties: the problems of correlation in establishing anti-tax avoidance rules

The subject. The specifics of the functioning of tax systems and the risk of double taxation require a solution to the issue of whether tax competence can remain only at the national level. Modern cross-border tax relations operate within a multi-level system of legal regulation based on the norms of international, supranational and national lawThe difficulties of correlating these levels are rooted in the fact that, in accordance with international law, each State has the right to tax persons or transactions with which it has a sufficient connection. Different situations may occur when both countries believe that the taxpayer is their resident, or when each of them claims that the income was received in this state. States solve this problem both unilaterally with the help of national legislation, and on a bilateral basis with the help of a double tax treaty.With the adoption of the Action Plan aimed at combating the erosion of the tax base and the withdrawal of profits (hereinafter referred to as the BEPS plan) and the EU Council Directive 2016/1164 (ATAD), tax strategies for using gaps and inconsistencies in tax rules to artificially transfer profits to low-tax jurisdictions were limited.Purpose of the study. The article discusses possible scenarios arising from the interaction of tax agreements and acts of EU tax law. It is necessary to take into account the obligation of the Member States to eliminate inconsistencies between acts of national legislation and acts of EU law. Member States have committed to achieve this goal at the time of EU accession and, therefore, before the adoption of any secondary EU law.Methodology. The research was carried out with the application of the formally legal interpretation of legal acts as well as the comparative analysis of international and European legal literature. Structural and systemic methods are also the basis of the research.The main results. Due to the clear coordination between the European Union and the OECD of actions in terms of establishing common measures to combat tax evasion and focusing on the subjective element of assessing potential abuse situations, a new standard for combating tax evasion has been established.Сonclusions. The author comes to the conclusion that the priority of the EU law over DTTs has been established. However, Member States retain the right to establish their own tax regimes and enter into tax treaties, thereby creating conflicts in legal regulation. In order to be directly applicable, the norm of the treaty must be clearly and definitely formulated, as well as be unconditional and independent of any national implementation measures.National legislation provides measures to eliminate the legal multiple taxation only for its residents. On the other hand, with respect to tax agreements concluded with third countries, the predominance of one system over another depends on the specific scenario, and in some cases the result achieved is the result of interpretation of existing provisions. In particular, tax treaties should prevail only when concluded before a state joins the EU.