We examine the response of individual investors to firms' adoptions of SFAS 109–Accounting for Income Taxes. We predict SFAS 109 (as compared to APB 11) provides new decision-useful information, reducing the information disadvantage of individual investors relative to more sophisticated...

In this study we develop a measure of corporate tax avoidance that reduces both financial and taxable income, which we refer to as “book-tax conforming” tax avoidance. We use simulation analyses, LIFO/FIFO inventory method conversions, and samples of private and public firms, to validate our...

While tax avoidance strategies result in greater after-tax cash flows, they can involve uncertain future outcomes, which can impose significant costs on firms. Thus, the extent to which tax avoidance increases firm risk is unclear. This paper re-examines the relation between tax avoidance and...

In this study we examine whether higher levels of tax risk are associated with increased firm risk, as perceived by capital market participants. Given the difficulties of measuring tax risk, we utilize four different proxies that prior research indicates capture greater tax-related uncertainty,...

In this study we examine whether managers' voluntary forecasts of future earnings are consistent with the implicit forecasts of future earnings that underlie a specific mandatory accrual, the valuation allowance. This accrual relies heavily on managerial estimation and is also based, in part, on...

Prior research provides mixed evidence on whether corporate lobbying activities increase or decrease shareholder value. In this study we use detailed data on corporate lobbying expenditures to investigate which factors influence the returns to corporate lobbying activities. Specifically, we...

We examine whether the regulatory changes required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. (FIN) 48 reduced the propensity for earnings management through the reserve for income taxes. Given prior evidence that firms use this reserve to...

This study examines the tax implications of pretax earnings management. Prior research has examined pretax earnings management activities that have current income tax consequences (book-tax 'conforming earnings management') and earnings management activities that do not have current income tax...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is the most important legislation affecting corporate financial reporting enacted in the United States since the 1930s. Its purpose is to improve the accuracy and reliability of accounting information reported to investors. We examine stock price reactions to...

This paper provides evidence on the types of accounts that reveal earnings management activities. We build on Burgstahler and Dichev's (1997) evidence of earnings management to avoid an earnings decline and Phillips et al.'s (2003) findings that deferred tax expense (DTE) can be used to detect...