Does option-based compensation have a causal influence on payout policy? To address this question we examine the adoption of mandatory expensing of stock options (via accounting standard FAS123R), a plausible exogenous shock to the use of option-based compensation. As FAS123R applies to all firms, our identification strategy exploits the fact that the reduction in option-based compensation in r...

ABSTRACT Corporate managers are often better informed than outside investors about the uncertain future benefits of investments. However, information investment prospects is not verifiable and therefore amenable to direct disclosure, but instead inferred by from other accounting disclosures. Given this situation, we study normative question how market’s perceptions uncertainty its beliefs expec...

ABSTRACT I develop a structural model to quantify the costs of tax avoidance. In model, firm trades off savings with audit risk, financial reporting considerations, and operational frictions imposed by avoidance, last which label as nontax costs. The estimated parameters suggest costs, are difficult observe, decrease pretax income 6.4 percent or $58 million per firm-year. large magnitude this e...

ABSTRACT I examine inspector-auditor interactions and test proposed changes to the existing inspection process using a stylized experiment with real-effort repeated interactions. first show that when holding incentives constant, if inspectors perceive request additional audit work, they escalate their deficiency assessments more work. then increasing discussions before formally assess auditors’...

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SYNOPSIS We examine how internal control effectiveness influences the audit completeness of earnings announcements and consequences on reliability. One intentions Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 (SOX) was for controls to improve financial reporting. Although we show that effective directly reduce announcement revisions as SOX would intend, also find evidence it provides management with confidence relea...

SYNOPSIS In this study, we propose a reciprocal rent-seeking game between politicians and individual auditors with political connections examine how these auditors' influence their audit quality. Using hand-collected data from China 2008 2013, find that politically connected have significantly lower tendency to issue modified opinions (MAOs). We also politicians' career prospects are adversely ...

SUMMARY This paper examines whether and how firms’ engagement in related-party transactions (RPTs) is shaped by public communication of audit risks as required the expanded report. Using phased regulatory changes China a difference-in-differences design with firm fixed effects matching, we find that firms significantly reduce their RPTs after adoption reports (EARs). To investigate potential me...