The Effect of The Common Auditor in Supply Chain on Corporate Tax Avoidance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Accounting, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22067/ijaaf.2025.45866.1488

Abstract

A common auditor is when the same auditing firm audits a company and at least one of its major clients. The main objective of this article is to address the question of whether the presence of Common auditors has an impact on tax avoidance activities within a company. It also examines how auditor industry expertise, auditor economic dependence on the client, and industry concentration affect this relationship. Using a sample of 150 companies from 2013 to 2023 and testing hypotheses with OLS regression, the study found that common auditors within a supply chain increase tax avoidance. However, while auditor industry expertise does not affect this relationship, auditor economic dependence and industry concentration weaken the positive impact of common auditors on tax avoidance. These findings enhance the understanding of the complex relationship between common auditors and clients and offer valuable insights for policymakers, standard-setters, and professionals in auditing and taxation to address issues related to common auditors and tax avoidance more effectively.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Almaharmeh, M. I., Shehadeh, A. A., Iskandrani, M. and Saleh, M. H. (2021). Audit quality and stock price synchronicity: evidence from emerging stock markets. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(3), pp. 833-843. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no3.0833
  2. Bae, G. S., Choi, S. U. and Lee, J. E. (2019). Auditor industry specialization and audit pricing and effort. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 38(1), pp. 51-75. https://doi.org/10.2308/ajpt-52039
  3. Bradshaw, M., Liao, G. and Ma, M.S. (2019) Agency costs and tax planning when the government is a major share- holder. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 67(2–3), pp. 255–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2018.10.002
  4. Cai, Ch., Zheng, Q. and Zhu, L. (2019). The effect of shared auditors in the supply chain on cost stickiness. China Journal of Accounting Research, 12(2), pp. 337-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjar.2019.09.001
  5. Cai, Y., Kim, Y., Park, J. and White, H. (2016). Common auditors in M&A transactions. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 61(1), pp. 77–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2015.01.004
  6. Cen, L., Maydew, E.L., Zhang, L. and Zuo, L. (2017). Customer-supplier relationships and corporate tax avoidance. Journal of Financial Economics, 123(2), pp. 377–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2016.09.009
  7. Chen, C. X., Lu, H. and Sougiannis, T. (2012). The agency problem, corporate governance, and the asymmetrical behavior of selling, general, and administrative costs. Contemporary Accounting Research, 29(1), pp. 252-282. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.2011.01094.x
  8. Chen, J. Z., Chen, M. H., Chin, C. L. and Lobo, G. J. (2020). Do firms that have a common signing auditor exhibit higher earnings comparability? The Accounting Review, 95(3), pp. 115-143. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-52522
  9. Chen, T. (2023). Common auditors and internal control similarity: Evidence from China. The British Accounting Review, 55(2), A. 101173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2022.101173
  10. Chi, W., Douthett, E.B., Jr. and Lisic, L.L. (2012). Client importance and audit partner Independence. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 31(3), pp. 320–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2011.08.009
  11. Crabtree, A. D. and Kubick, T. R. (2014). Corporate tax avoidance and the timeliness of annual earnings announcements. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 42, pp. 51-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11156-012-0333-9
  12. Darabi, R., and Zamani, M. (2017). Tax avoidance and asymmetric behavior of costs. Iranian Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, 1(1), pp. 39-51. https://doi.org/10.22067/ijaaf.v1i1.67392
  13. Dhaliwal, D., Shenoy, J. and Williams, R. (2017). Common auditors and relationship-specific in supplier-customer relationships. Working paper. Social Science Research Network, Tucson, United States. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3003435
  14. Dhawan, A., Ma, L. and M.H. Kim. (2020). Effect of corporate tax avoidance activities on firm bankruptcy risk. Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics, 16(2), pp. 154-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcae.2020.100187
  15. Fang, J., Luo, S. and Pittman, J. (2020). Common individual auditors and analyst forecast performance. In Working paper. Social Science Research Network, Shanghai, China. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3521996
  16. Francis, J. R. and Wang, W. (2021). Common auditors and private bank loans. Contemporary Accounting Research, 38(1), pp. 793-832. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3846.12617
  17. Francis, J. R., Pinnuck, M. L. and Watanabe, O. (2014). Auditor style and financial statement comparability. The Accounting Review, 89(2), pp. 605-633. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-50642
  18. Geiger, M. A. and Blay, A. D. (2013). Auditor fees and auditor independence: evidence from going-concern reporting decisions. Contemporary Accounting Research, 30(2), 579–606. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.2012.01166.x
  19. Hanlon, M. and S. Heitzman. (2010). A review of tax research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, 50(2-3), pp. 127-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2010.09.002
  20. Henry, E. and Sansing, R. (2018). Corporate tax avoidance: data truncation and loss firms. Review of Accounting Studies, 23(3), pp. 1042–1070. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11142-018-9448-0
  21. Hope, O. K., Rao, P., Xu, Y. and Yue, H. (2023). Information sharing between mutual funds and auditors. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 50(1-2), pp. 152-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbfa.12636
  22. Hossain, S., Monroe, G. S., Wilson, M. and Jubb, C. (2016). The effect of networked clients' economic importance on audit quality. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 35(4), pp. 79-103. https://doi.org/10.2308/ajpt-51451
  23. Hu, Z., Hai-yan, Y., Zhang, Y. and Wang, J. (2022). Does common auditor have an impact on corporate tax avoidance? an investigation from the supply chain perspective. Accounting and Finance, 63(1), pp. 575-629. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12983
  24. Hu, Z., Yang, H., Zhang, Y. and Wang, J. J. (2023). Does common auditor have an impact on corporate tax avoidance? An investigation from the supply chain perspective. Accounting & Finance, 63(1), pp. 575-629. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12983
  25. Jiu, L., Liu, B. and Liu, Y. (2020). How a shared auditor affects firm-pair comparability: implications of both firm and individual audit styles. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 39(3), pp. 133–160. https://doi.org/10.2308/ajpt-17-008
  26. Knechel, W., Rouse, P. and Schelleman, C. (2009). A modified audit production framework: evaluating the relative efficiency of audit engagements. The Accounting Review, 84(5), pp. 1607–1638. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2009.84.5.1607
  27. Kothari, S.P., Ramanna, K. and Skinner, D. (2010). Implication for GAAP from an analysis of positive research in accounting. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 50(2-3), pp. 246-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2010.09.003
  28. Kovermann, J. and M. Wendt. (2019). Tax avoidance in family firms: evidence from large private firms. Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics, 15(2), pp. 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcae.2019.04.003
  29. Lari Dasht Bayaz, M., and Hassanpour, M. (2019). Audit quality, risk-taking, and value creation: Iranian evidence. Iranian Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, 3(1), pp. 97-11. (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.22067/ijaaf.v3i1.88752
  30. Mautz, R., and H. Sharaf. (1961). The philosophy of auditing. Sarasota, Fla. American Accounting Association. Florida, United States
  31. McGuire, S., Thomas, C. and Wang, D.C. (2012). Tax avoidance: does tax-specific industry expertise make a difference? The Accounting Review, 87(3), pp. 975–1003. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10215
  32. Wei, C. (2014). Auditor industry expertise and client tax avoidance. Auditing Research, 26(2), pp. 74–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.6226/NTUMR.2016.SEP.0126
CAPTCHA Image