How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan

Substantial tax revenue is the lifeblood of a nation's growth and development, yet this essential resource is often undermined by individuals who choose to sidestep their obligations through various tax avoidance strategies. Despite the necessity of taxes for national progress, the reluctance o...

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Main Authors: Shafiq, Ume Salma, Selamat, Aslam Izah, Mohd Nor, Normaziah, Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Human Resources Management Academic Research Society (HRMARS) 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/1/119074.pdf
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author Shafiq, Ume Salma
Selamat, Aslam Izah
Mohd Nor, Normaziah
Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin
author_facet Shafiq, Ume Salma
Selamat, Aslam Izah
Mohd Nor, Normaziah
Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin
author_sort Shafiq, Ume Salma
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Substantial tax revenue is the lifeblood of a nation's growth and development, yet this essential resource is often undermined by individuals who choose to sidestep their obligations through various tax avoidance strategies. Despite the necessity of taxes for national progress, the reluctance of some to contribute willingly presents a significant challenge to achieving sustainable economic advancement. This study expects to inform the impact of audit quality and tax avoidance among Pakistani non-financial firms, which is investigated based on agency and signaling theory. The study adds to the current literature by examining how audit quality influences corporate tax avoidance activities. This study utilizes a unique dataset of the top 50 firms, spanning from 2016 to 2022, and uses panel data along with the FE and SGMM estimate technique for accounting for potential endogeneity; the study finds a significant positive link between audit quality and tax avoidance. The data show that higher audit quality is associated with lower tax avoidance, implying that rigorous audits discourage aggressive tax planning and improve financial reporting credibility. This study has important implications for policymakers and corporate governance specialists, highlighting the necessity of emphasizing audit quality to reduce tax avoidance. The study admits limitations, such as its concentration on non-financial enterprises in Pakistan, which may impact the conclusion's broader relevance. Future research should investigate this relationship across industries or geographies and consider other factors influencing tax avoidance, such as corporate governance systems.
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spelling upm-1190742025-08-06T02:00:04Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/ How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan Shafiq, Ume Salma Selamat, Aslam Izah Mohd Nor, Normaziah Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin Substantial tax revenue is the lifeblood of a nation's growth and development, yet this essential resource is often undermined by individuals who choose to sidestep their obligations through various tax avoidance strategies. Despite the necessity of taxes for national progress, the reluctance of some to contribute willingly presents a significant challenge to achieving sustainable economic advancement. This study expects to inform the impact of audit quality and tax avoidance among Pakistani non-financial firms, which is investigated based on agency and signaling theory. The study adds to the current literature by examining how audit quality influences corporate tax avoidance activities. This study utilizes a unique dataset of the top 50 firms, spanning from 2016 to 2022, and uses panel data along with the FE and SGMM estimate technique for accounting for potential endogeneity; the study finds a significant positive link between audit quality and tax avoidance. The data show that higher audit quality is associated with lower tax avoidance, implying that rigorous audits discourage aggressive tax planning and improve financial reporting credibility. This study has important implications for policymakers and corporate governance specialists, highlighting the necessity of emphasizing audit quality to reduce tax avoidance. The study admits limitations, such as its concentration on non-financial enterprises in Pakistan, which may impact the conclusion's broader relevance. Future research should investigate this relationship across industries or geographies and consider other factors influencing tax avoidance, such as corporate governance systems. Human Resources Management Academic Research Society (HRMARS) 2024-09-12 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/1/119074.pdf Shafiq, Ume Salma and Selamat, Aslam Izah and Mohd Nor, Normaziah and Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin (2024) How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14 (9). pp. 656-671. ISSN 2222-6990 https://hrmars.com/index.php/IJARBSS/article/view/22769/How-Audit-Quality-Affects-Tax-Avoidance-An-Analytical-Study-in-Pakistan 10.6007/ijarbss/v14-i9/22769
spellingShingle Shafiq, Ume Salma
Selamat, Aslam Izah
Mohd Nor, Normaziah
Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin
How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title_full How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title_fullStr How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title_full_unstemmed How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title_short How audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in Pakistan
title_sort how audit quality affects tax avoidance: an analytical study in pakistan
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119074/1/119074.pdf