Taxation Commons^™

Decision Making In Corporate Taxation, Bonnie Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three experimental studies that examine corporate tax aggressiveness through an investigation of judgment and decision making in the corporate tax environment. Studies 1 and 2 examine individual judgment involved in decision making (i.e., assessments of tax positions based upon tax scenario facts and tax authority). Study 1 examines how advice from external tax advisors and a tax advisor's association with the company's audit firm influences the aggressiveness of experienced in-house corporate tax decision makers. Study 2 examines how situational factors in the corporate tax environment interact with individual traits to affect individual-level tax aggressiveness, focusing …

Property Or Currency? The Tax Dilemma Behind Bitcoin, Scott A. Wiseman

Utah Law Review

At Bitcoin’s peak in November 2013, there were 93,000 global transactions made in a single day. These users purchased everyday items such as personal services, food, and real estate. This alone suggests that Bitcoin is not primarily used as a long-term investment tool, but rather is used as a currency and a vehicle for global transactions. Congress and the IRS should regulate it accordingly. Representative Stockman’s Virtual Currency Reform Act offered an attempt to negate the IRS decision and officially classify Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as currency instead of property. A tax reclassification would alleviate typical users’ many inconveniences …

The Impact Of Increased Cigarette Prices On Cigarette Consumption, Bohyun Yoo

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The objective of this study examines whether the way to raise cigarette prices drastically and discontinuously is effective in reducing cigarette consumption. We use monthly data for cigarette consumption to measure the price elasticity of cigarettes’ demand and adopt real cigarette prices, real individual income, education level, and unemployment rate as independent variables. We consider how consumers adjust their consumption practices in response to the increased prices. After examining the result of regression, we conclude that cigarette real price has a significant association with the reduction in cigarette consumption. If we divide the last twelve years into periods when prices …

The Benefits Of Having A Comprehensive Financial Plan For The Average Consumer, And The Necessary Components Comprised To Make An Effective And Efficient Plan, Nicholas M. Lund

CMC Senior Theses

Socioeconomic changes in American society over the past few decades, as well as an overwhelming amount of uncertainty and misconceptions, have resulted in a majority of Americans to fall short of their financial goals in the short-term, the mid-term, and the long-term. Without proper preparation and financial planning, it is likely that these Americans, and many more, will be unable to reach these goals as well as retire comfortably. Many Americans are overwhelmed with the immense amount of financial information, tools and resources, and as a consequence are unable to plan their finances efficiently and effectively. Americans need a better …

Liberating Trapped Cash: A Case Study Of Trapped Cash At Apple And Microsoft, Russell P. Engel, Bridget M. Lyons, Danny A. Pannese

WCBT Faculty Publications

The topic of trapped cash, or cash permanently reinvested overseas to avoid tax upon repatriation, has become a hot topic in accounting, finance and policy circles over the past two years. This case study analyzes the activities of two major technology firms, Microsoft and Apple, to liberate enormous holdings of trapped cash. The case prompts a discussion of the topic of trapped cash, stakeholder considerations and tools available to manage cash balances held outside the United States. The focus is to examine the strategies available and those selected by Microsoft and Apple to meet or at least appease stakeholder demands …

Can Sharing Be Taxed?, Shu-Yi Oei, Diane M. Ring

Faculty Scholarship

In the past few years, we have seen the rise of a new model of production and consumption of goods and services, often referred to as the “sharing economy.” Fueled by startups such as Uber and Airbnb, sharing enables individuals to obtain rides, accommodations, and other goods and services from peers via personal computer or mobile application in exchange for payment. The rise of sharing has raised questions about how it should be regulated, including whether existing laws and regulations can and should be enforced in this new sector or whether new ones are needed.

In this Article, we explore …

Benefit-Cost Analysis And Distributional Weights: An Overview, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

Standard cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is insensitive to distributional concerns. A policy that improves the lives of the rich, and makes the poor yet worse off, will be approved by CBA as long as the policy’s aggregate monetized benefits are positive. Distributional weights offer an apparent solution to this troubling feature of the CBA methodology: adjust costs and benefits with weighting factors that are inversely proportional to the well-being levels (as determined by income and also perhaps non-income attributes such as health) of the affected individuals.

Indeed, an academic literature dating from the 1950s discusses how to specify distributional weights. And …

The Cost Of Feeling Good, Casey M. Field

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Cost of Feeling Good attempts to quantify the optimum portfolio returns of Socially Responsible Investment Funds and Dual-Purpose Portfolios. In order to meet the demands of investors who want to create a social impact and generate financial returns, investors can choose two methods. For the purpose of this study, the social returns were quantified and the financial returns were quantified using net present value. In every scenario, the socially responsible investment decision generated higher financial returns. Because of the immediate loss to an investor after choosing the DPP strategy, financially, the SRI fund appears to be the better approach …

The Economics Of The Political Parties: A Comparison Of Economic Performance Under Conservatives And Liberals, Austin Fischer

Honors Program Projects

A topic that has long been a subject of debate is which party in America’s two-party political system has better economic policies. Democrats tout strong economic records, boasting of their tried and true Keynesian principles. Republicans point to the accomplishments of recent presidents in combating recessions with supply-side ideals. This project attempts to look at the actual performance of the economy under Republican and Democratic presidents since 1950, and come to an unbiased conclusion on whose policies really do work better.

This project looks at GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, disposable income, and budget deficits to determine which party’s policies help …

The Abuse Of Foreign Income Tax Credit, Janki P. Patel

Honors College Theses

This analytical study examines the abuse of foreign income tax credit with the provided data from 1996 – 2011. There are various ways to categorize the foreign tax credit, yet this study examines the foreign tax credit taken in various geographic regions. Additionally, it also analyzes the individual foreign tax credit claimed and corporate tax credit claimed to conclude on which unit abuses the credit utmost.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act: The Most Revolutionary Piece Of Tax Legislation Since The Introduction Of The Income Tax, Alexander Szwakob

Honors Scholar Theses

With taxation of income being the most significant source of revenue, most national governments consider tax evasion prevention to be one of the priorities of their tax agencies. In the United States, tax evasion has been a significant concern of the Internal Revenue Service ever since the modern income tax was instituted with the passing of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913. Over the following century, Congress enacted numerous measures aimed at curbing the illegal practice, but, as often is the case, both individuals and institutions desiring to not abide by the law found new ways to outsmart the tax authorities. …

Cross-Country Evidence On The Preliminary Effects Of Patent Box Regimes On Patent Activity And Ownership, Sebastien J. Bradley, Estelle Dauchy, Leslie Robinson

Sebastien J Bradley

This paper evaluates the initial impacts of patent box regimes in light of their primary stated objectives: stimulating domestic innovation and retaining mobile patent income to limit base erosion. Despite their lack of nexus requirements, we find that patent box regimes yield a 3 percent increase in new patent applications for every percentage point reduction in the tax rate on patent income. We find no significant impact of these regimes on deterring outward cross-border attribution of patent ownership, or on attracting ownership of foreign inventions. Increased patenting activity hence appears focused on inventions involving co-located (domestic) patent owners and inventors.

The Common Knowledge Of Tax Abuse, Mark P. Gergen

Mark P. Gergen

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Tax Law On Securities Innovation In The United States: 1981-1997, Mark P. Gergen, Paula Schmitz

Mark P. Gergen

No abstract provided.

Attitude–Behavior Consistency In Tax Compliance: A Cross-National Comparison, Alice Guerra, Brooke Harrington

Brooke Harrington

Behind The Painting By A.C. Littleton In Shanghai, Academy Of Accounting Historians, James L. Chan

Accounting Historians Notebook

On June 2, 2015, I was given a tour of the China Accounting Museum (opened in November 2013) at the Lixin School of Accounting in Shanghai. In its International Hall, I came face to face with an oil painting by A.C. Littleton, “my” Littleton. Perhaps in a breach of protocol, I requested my host, Professor Song Xiaoming, to take the painting down from the wall to verify the authenticity of my claim. “There is a word ‘Wood’ on the backside,” I told him. He obliged: sure enough, inscribed in pencil were the words “after Robert Wood”. I explained that Littleton …

President’S Message, Massimo Sargiacomo

Accounting Historians Notebook

Two years have passed by quickly just like a Ferrari on the roadway. My presidential term is going to finish very soon.

Zeff And Camfferman Publish New Book On Formation Of International Accounting Standards

Accounting Historians Notebook

From 2001 to 2011, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and its International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) acquired a central position in the practice and regulation of financial reporting around the world. A new book coauthored by Rice’s Stephen Zeff and Dutch accounting professor Kees Camfferman explores and chronicles the board’s rise to prominence, which has been accompanied by vivid political debates about its governance and accountability.

Alan Sangster Receives 2015 Hourglass Award

Accounting Historians Notebook

Alan Sangster is Professor of Accounting Education at Griffith University, Australia and a visiting professor at the University of Minho, Portugal. He is a qualified chartered accountant and holds a bachelor degree in business studies, a master degree in operational research, and a doctorate in accounting education.

Sarah A. Holmes Awarded Life Membership

Accounting Historians Notebook

The Academy was honored to name Sarah A. Holmes a Life Member of the Academy for her extensive involvement with the Academy, her successful career and her support of accounting history research.