Corporate Tax Compliance and Financial Reporting

The tax law provides varying opportunities for tax planning, and firms have competing incentives to consider in planning a tax reporting strategy, including financial reporting effects. I present preliminary results that Internal Revenue Service audit adjustments increase in the excess of book income over taxable income. This is evidence that firms incur additional costs for reporting higher book income than taxable income. I also investigate the relationship between compliance costs and taxes paid. Existing descriptive research emphasizes the social cost burden of such compliance costs. Preliminary results indicate that firms that spend more on tax research and planning report lower tax expense.