An empirical investigation of corporate tax avoidance: The firm life-cycle, investor perception and the timeliness of earnings announcements

This dissertation is comprised of three empirical investigations of corporate tax avoidance. In the first study, a life-cycle theory of corporate tax avoidance that has not been explored in extant literature and may be helpful in addressing future research questions is presented. Evidence suggests the firm life-cycle is a consistent determinant of corporate tax avoidance. The second study evaluates investor perception of tax avoidance activity. Specifically, direct evidence is presented suggesting that tax avoidance is not a priced risk factor in the post SFAS No. 109 period. Cash flow and discount rate news properties are investigated suggesting tax avoidance is associated with both cash flow and discount rate news, stock returns are driven primarily by cash flow news (consistent with Vuolteenaho [2002]) and investors on average do not appear to react differently to cash flow shocks in the presence of greater tax avoidance. In the third study, consistent with an agency theory of tax avoidance, evidence is presented suggesting tax avoidance results in a less timely annual earnings announcement. Evidence is also presented suggesting that tax avoidance impacts the value-relevance of earnings to investors at the announcement date, evaluated by the earnings response coefficient ( ERC )