IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/corsem/v32y2025i3p4179-4193.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Decoupling and Tax Avoidance: Symbolic Use of Sustainable Boards in the European Union?

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick Velte

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling and tax avoidance, as well as the moderating effect of sustainable boards on this relationship. Based on agency and legitimacy theories, we used panel data of listed firms headquartered in the European Union (2076 firm‐year observations) in the 2017–2022 fiscal period. In line with the theoretical framework and based on several regression analyses, we found that CSR decoupling and tax avoidance were significantly positively related. In line with the assumption of a symbolic, sustainable boards strengthen this relationship. The results remained consistent following several robustness tests and endogeneity checks. The study mainly contributes to the literature by raising awareness about the relationship between CSR and tax avoidance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study on the link between CSR decoupling and tax avoidance and the moderating effect of sustainable boards. Future research should determine the impact of the sub‐pillars of CSR decoupling and evaluate tax disclosure in CSR reports. Corporations should promote integrated tax and sustainability management as substantive stakeholder tools.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Velte, 2025. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Decoupling and Tax Avoidance: Symbolic Use of Sustainable Boards in the European Union?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(3), pages 4179-4193, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:32:y:2025:i:3:p:4179-4193
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.3172
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.3172
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/csr.3172?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhe Li & Ping Wang & Tianlong Wu, 2021. "Do foreign institutional investors drive corporate social responsibility? Evidence from listed firms in China," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1-2), pages 338-373, January.
    2. Patrick Velte & Martin Stawinoga, 2020. "Do chief sustainability officers and CSR committees influence CSR-related outcomes? A structured literature review based on empirical-quantitative research findings," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 333-377, December.
    3. Ross, Stephen A, 1973. "The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal's Problem," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 134-139, May.
    4. Abdullah Alsaadi, 2020. "Financial-tax reporting conformity, tax avoidance and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(3), pages 639-659, June.
    5. Roman Lanis & Grant Richardson, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and tax aggressiveness: a test of legitimacy theory," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 26(1), pages 75-100, December.
    6. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-03-2017-2896 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Patrick Velte, 2024. "Sustainable board governance and environmental performance: European evidence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3397-3421, May.
    8. Grant Richardson & Grantley Taylor & Roman Lanis, 2016. "Women on the board of directors and corporate tax aggressiveness in Australia," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(3), pages 313-331, September.
    9. Eduardo Ortas & Isabel Gallego-Álvarez, 2020. "Bridging the gap between corporate social responsibility performance and tax aggressiveness," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(4), pages 825-855, March.
    10. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Blouin, Jennifer L. & Larcker, David F., 2012. "The incentives for tax planning," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 391-411.
    11. Kovermann, Jost & Velte, Patrick, 2019. "The impact of corporate governance on corporate tax avoidance—A literature review," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Lin, Kenny Z. & Cheng, Suwina & Zhang, Fang, 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Institutional Environments, and Tax Avoidance: Evidence from a Subnational Comparison in China," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 303-318.
    13. Ahmed A. Sarhan, 2024. "Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance: the effect of shareholding structure—evidence from the UK," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(1), pages 1-15, March.
    14. Taylor, Grantley & Richardson, Grant, 2014. "Incentives for corporate tax planning and reporting: Empirical evidence from Australia," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15.
    15. Feng, Zhi-Yuan & Wang, Ying-Chieh & Wang, Wen-Gine, 2024. "Corporate carbon reduction and tax avoidance: International evidence," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2).
    16. Wei Huang & Tingting Ying & Yun Shen, 2018. "Executive cash compensation and tax aggressiveness of Chinese firms," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 1151-1180, November.
    17. Ling, Qianhua & Liu, Linxiao, 2023. "Corporate giving and the case of tax avoidance," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    18. Grant Richardson & Grantley Taylor & Roman Lanis, 2016. "Women on the board of directors and corporate tax aggressiveness in Australia," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(3), pages 313-331, September.
    19. Chih-Wen Mao & Wen-Chieh Wu, 2019. "Moderated mediation effects of corporate social responsibility performance on tax avoidance: evidence from China," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1-2), pages 90-107, January.
    20. Chih-Wen Mao, 2019. "Effect of corporate social responsibility on corporate tax avoidance: evidence from a matching approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 49-67, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kovermann, Jost & Velte, Patrick, 2019. "The impact of corporate governance on corporate tax avoidance—A literature review," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Khayria Amarna & Maria Victoria López‐Pérez & Raquel Garde Sánchez & Lázaro Rodríguez Ariza, 2025. "ESG Information Disclosure and Its Relationship to Tax Practices: Stakeholder‐Friendly or Legitimacy‐Seeking?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 3906-3917, June.
    3. 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).
    4. Tânia Menezes Montenegro, 2021. "Tax Evasion, Corporate Social Responsibility and National Governance: A Country-Level Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Sarhan, Ahmed A. & Elmagrhi, Mohamed H. & Elkhashen, Emad M., 2024. "Corruption prevention practices and tax avoidance: The moderating effect of corporate board characteristics," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    6. Patrick Velte, 2023. "Sustainable institutional investors, corporate sustainability performance, and corporate tax avoidance: Empirical evidence for the European capital market," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2406-2418, September.
    7. Patrick Velte, 2020. "Determinants and consequences of clawback provisions in management compensation contracts: a structured literature review on empirical evidence," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(3), pages 1417-1450, November.
    8. Shuolei Xu & Fangjun Wang & Charles P. Cullinan & Nanyan Dong, 2022. "Corporate Tax Avoidance and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Readability: Evidence from China," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(2), pages 267-289, June.
    9. Panagiotis Karavitis & Pantelis Kazakis & Tianyue Xu, 2021. "Overconfident CEOs, Corporate Social Responsibility & Tax Avoidance: Evidence from China," Working Papers 2021_18, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    10. Dyussembina, Saule & Park, Kunsu, 2024. "Book-tax differences, dividend payout, and firm value," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Benkraiem, Ramzi & Uyar, Ali & Kilic, Merve & Schneider, Friedrich, 2021. "Ethical behavior, auditing strength, and tax evasion: A worldwide perspective," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    12. Bohyun Yoon & Jeong-Hwan Lee & Jin-Hyung Cho, 2021. "The Effect of ESG Performance on Tax Avoidance—Evidence from Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, June.
    13. Alharbi, Samar & Atawnah, Nader & Al Mamun, Md & Ali, Muhammad Jahangir, 2022. "Local culture and tax avoidance: Evidence from gambling preference behavior," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    14. 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.
    15. Lei, Guangyong & Qiu, Baoyin & Yu, Junli & Zuo, Jingjing, 2023. ""Hitting the jackpot" in corporate tax strategy: A perspective on gambling preferences," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    16. Tao Zeng, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Tax Aggressiveness, and Firm Market Value," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 7-30, March.
    17. Habib Saragih, Arfah & Ali, Syaiful & Suwardi, Eko & Utomo, Hargo, 2024. "Finding the missing pieces to an optimal corporate tax savings: Information technology governance and internal information quality," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    18. Patrick Velte, 2023. "Which institutional investors drive corporate sustainability? A systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 42-71, January.
    19. Elisabeth Bustos-Contell & Salvador Climent-Serrano & Gregorio Labatut-Serer, 2017. "Offshoring in the European Union: a Study of the Evolution of the Tax Burden," Contemporary Economics, Vizja University, vol. 11(2), June.
    20. Luca Menicacci & Lorenzo Simoni, 2024. "Negative media coverage of ESG issues and corporate tax avoidance," Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(7), pages 1-33, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:32:y:2025:i:3:p:4179-4193. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1535-3966 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.