The Impact of internal governance mechanisms on the risk of tax fraud in companies

Abstract

The regulations and the agency theory give an important place on the board of directors, its audit committee and other internal and external actors in the prevention and management of the risks of tax evasion. Nowadays, the preservation of tax revenues has become one of the main axes of the budgetary policy of governments wishing to better regulate the tax practices of companies and in particular to limit abusive or fraudulent behavior. It is therefore essential to highlight the role played by internal governance mechanisms with regard to the risks of tax evasion within companies. This research, the objective of which is to examine the impact of governance mechanisms on the existence of tax evasion within Togolese companies, is therefore part of this framework.

Specific information on the board of directors and on the internal audit profession was requested through a questionnaire from 53 Togolese companies. Data processing was done using Excel and SPSS software and allowed not only to develop statistical tests but also to set up a logistics model. The results of the regression analysis show that the accounting and/or tax expertise of the members of the audit committee of the board of directors and the separation of the positions of CEO and PCA have a negative effect on the risk of fraud in businesses. On the other hand, the probability of the presence of the tax risk increases with the independence of the board of directors and the recourse by the companies, to the services of the external council in tax matters.

JEL Classification : G39

Paper type : Empirical Research