Investigating CSR Disclosures and Aggressive Financial Reporting in Relation to Tax Aggressiveness: Can Board Structure Change The Status Quo?

Abstract

In recent years, academic researchers and policymakers have increasingly discussed the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosures and aggressive financial reporting in tax aggressiveness. Tax aggressiveness can be defined as a company's eagerness in using legal loopholes and other methods of tax reduction. Companies must evaluate how their tax practices affect their reputation and adhere to tax reporting and CSR standards. The objective of this research is to investigate in the relationship between CSR disclosures and aggressive financial reporting on tax aggressiveness moderated by board structures. The board's internal control function is expected to reduce tax aggressiveness-related risks. The study employed static panel data regression analyses on 665 firm-year data from the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2016 to 2020. This study discovered that a larger board size could diminish the negative relationship between CSR disclosure and tax aggressiveness in particular industries while strengthening the positive relationship between aggressive financial reporting and tax aggressiveness. The current work suggests that companies with more independent boards of directors could increase the negative association between CSR disclosure and tax aggressiveness while reducing the positive association between aggressive financial reporting and tax aggressiveness. This study could reference future corporate policy regarding the most effective board structures to minimise tax aggressiveness.