CSR and corporate taxes : substitutes or complements?

There is a debate in academia and the business world on whether tax payments should be considered part of firms’ social responsibility. Existing literature provides conflicting evidence on the relationship between corporate tax payments and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Borrowing a concept from a behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), this study attempts to present a more refined model on the relationship between the two. The results in this study reveal that as firms’ performance rises further above their aspiration level, they are less likely to show better CSR performances and are also less likely to avoid taxes. Firms performing just above their aspiration level show higher CSR performances and firms performing nearby (both below and above) their aspiration level avoid more taxes. In conclusion, firms’ CSR and tax payment decisions are related to the desire to meet or beat an aspiration level or sustain competitive advantage than being ethical or unethical.