Date of Award
Spring 2019
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Advisor(s)
Stanley Veliotis
Abstract
This paper analyzes the effect of the media attention of a publicly traded firm on its tax avoidance efforts. This research aims to further the research on corporate tax avoidance, especially the variation among firms in their level of tax avoidance. The research questions of this paper are: What is the correlation between public media coverage and the tax avoidance of a firm? Does a higher volume of media attention (being either positive, negative or indifferent), regardless of topic, deter managers from engaging in tax avoidance? This paper first presents an introduction to tax avoidance and media coverage, followed by a literature review that connects these two topics and leads into the development of the hypothesis. The research design consists of multiple regression analyses, with Tax Avoidance as the dependent variable and Media Coverage as the independent variable. The regression will be scaled to control for the time lag between Media Coverage and when the effect is reflected in the reported tax avoidance of a firm. The results contradict the hypothesis and indicate that firms increase Tax Avoidance in future years following higher Media Coverage.
Recommended Citation
Strack, Andrew, "Is the volume of media attention related to a firm’s tax avoidance efforts?" (2019). Gabelli School of Business Honors Thesis Collection. 104.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/gabelli_thesis/104
