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Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance

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  • Laszlo Goerke

Abstract

We theoretically analyse the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance of an oligopolistic firm. The firm maximizes a weighted sum of profits and a CSR objective that depends on output and the firm's contribution to public good provision, that is, tax payments. Making one CSR element more important induces the firm to adhere less to the other and to reduce tax avoidance. Hence, simultaneously a substitutive and a complementary relationship between CSR and tax avoidance can be observed. Therefore, using composite indicators of CSR prevents an empirical identification of this linkage. Moreover, if tax avoidance declines, CSR activities will increase. Consequently, the overall link between CSR and tax avoidance is theoretically ambiguous.

Suggested Citation

  • Laszlo Goerke, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 21(2), pages 310-331, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jpbect:v:21:y:2019:i:2:p:310-331
    DOI: 10.1111/jpet.12341
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    Cited by:

    1. Franz W. Wagner, 2019. "Unternehmensbesteuerung und Corporate Social Responsibility [Business Taxation and Corporate Social Responsibility]," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 71(3), pages 347-380, November.
    2. Osman Issah & Lúcia Lima Rodrigues, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Tax Aggressiveness: A Scientometric Analysis of the Existing Literature to Map the Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, June.
    3. Laszlo Goerke, 2020. "Horizontal FDI in a Dynamic Cournot - Oligopoly with Endogenous Entry," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202003, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    4. Laszlo Goerke, 2021. "Tax Evasion by Firms," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202104, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    5. Van, Huong Vu & Ly, Kim Cuong, 2021. "Does rising corporate social responsibility promote firm tax payments? New perspectives from a quantile approach," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Luca Gandullia & Stefano Piserà, 2020. "Do income taxes affect corporate social responsibility? Evidence from European‐listed companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(2), pages 1017-1027, March.
    7. Minh, Thanh Nguyen & Ngoc, Anh Mai & Tuan, Anh Nguyen & Dao, Tung Nguyen, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility, market rivalry and firm leverage: new evidence from a fixed-effect quantile regression approach," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    8. Laszlo Goerke & Michael Neugart, 2020. "Thorstein Veblen, Joan Robinson, and George Stigler (probably) never met: Social Preferences, Monopsony, and Government Intervention," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202001, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    9. Laszlo Goerke, 2022. "Trade unions and corporate social responsibility," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(1), pages 177-203, March.
    10. Kumari Juddoo & Issam Malki & Sudha Mathew & Sheeja Sivaprasad, 2023. "An impact investment strategy," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 177-211, July.
    11. Gavious, Ilanit & Livne, Gilad & Chen, Ester, 2022. "Does tax avoidance increase or decrease when tax enforcement is stronger? Evidence using CSR heterogeneity perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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