To minimize costs related to unfavorable perceptions of their tax-related activities, firms with low effective tax rates (ETR) could avoid, where possible, explicit mentions of their effective tax rates. Using this reputational cost perspective, we study an item of required disclosure in the income tax footnote of the 10-K, the ETR reconciliation table, where firms can choose a presentation format that reveals the tax rate (the percentage format) or one that avoids explicit mention of the effective tax rate (the dollar format). We find that firms with low ETRs are 24 percent more likely to use the dollar format and are also less likely to mention their tax rates elsewhere in their disclosures, consistent with the choice of dollar format reflecting a firm's overall tax disclosure strategy. Analysts' tax expense forecasts are less accurate for dollar format firms, suggesting higher processing costs associated with tax-related disclosures for these firms.

This study examines the effect of timing (gradual versus immediate) and direction (tax increase or decrease) of a tax change on taxpayer behavior. Specifically, we focus on capital gain tax changes and preferences for investment in riskier assets. We run an experiment with 117 participants who allocate investment dollars between two funds of differing risk. Drawing on mental accounting and hedonic editing (Thaler 1985; Thaler and Johnson 1990), we posit that a tax decrease (a “gain”) implemented gradually over several years will result in a greater increase in risky investment once the decrease is fully implemented than when the tax change is implemented all at once. In contrast, once a tax increase (a “loss”) is fully implemented, a smaller decrease in risky investment will result when the change occurs all at once rather than gradually. Our findings support these expectations, suggesting that the manner of implementing a tax law change may impact decisions. Data Availability: Contact the authors.

This study investigates auditor-provided tax services from 2000 to 2002, during which fees paid to auditors for nonaudit services (NAS) were disclosed, but separate disclosure of tax service fees was voluntary. We examine changes in the market for tax NAS in 2002, as Congress debated possible prohibition of these services. Using the Heckman MLE procedure to control for selection bias in tax fee disclosure, we find that a strong pre-2002 positive association between tax fees and higher than expected audit fees weakened significantly in 2002, suggesting that some companies paying high audit fees reduced or terminated auditor-provided tax services in 2002. Our findings also suggest that auditor-provided tax services were reduced among new or short-tenure clients. Controlling for tax complexity, we also find some evidence that early “returns” (i.e., tax rate reductions) to companies from auditorprovided tax services were reduced in 2002. Finally, results of our selection model imply that the decision to voluntarily disclose fees paid to the auditor for tax services is positively associated with tax complexity and auditor tenure, and negatively associated with the proportion of NAS fees to total fees. Overall, our findings imply significant change in auditor-provided tax services prior to 2003, when separate disclosure of auditor-provided tax service fees was mandated.