An Examination of FIN 48 Disclosures: Evidence from Korean Companies

FIN 48 주석사항 검토: 한국기업을 중심으로

  • Song, Bomi (College of Business Administration, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jung, Woon-Oh (College of Business Administration, Seoul National University) ;
  • Roh, Hee Chun (College of Business Administration, Soongsil University)
  • Received : 2016.08.11
  • Accepted : 2016.09.13
  • Published : 2016.09.30

Abstract

Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48), Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes: An interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, requires firms to evaluate uncertain tax positions and disclose information on their liabilities for these positions, unrecognized tax benefits (UTBs). We analyze the FIN 48 disclosures for calendar-year-end Korean companies listed on NYSE and NASDAQ and examine the Korean firms' tax aggressiveness utilizing the UTBs. The results suggest that stock exchange and firm size do not play a role in the Korean firms' tax aggressiveness, contrary to the matched U.S. firms and that the Korean firm in the miscellaneous retail industry is more tax aggressive than the firms in the communications, depository institutions and business services. In addition, we find evidence that the Korean firms are less tax aggressive than the matched U.S. firms. We also examine the Korean firms' tax avoidance tendencies using other measures of avoidance, leading to mixed results. Finally, we examine the association between the UTBs and other measures of tax avoidance and find a significant and negative association between the UTBs and the long-run cash effective tax rate.

FIN 48은 기업들이 불확실한 조세 포지션을 평가하고 이와 관련된 부채인 미인식 세제혜택(UTB)에 대한 정보를 공시하여야 한다고 명시하고 있다. 본 연구는 12월 결산 뉴욕증권거래소 및 나스닥 상장 한국기업의 FIN 48 주석사항을 분석하였으며, 또한 FIN 48 하에 계상된 미인식 세제혜택(UTB)을 이용하여 동 기업의 과세공격적 행위에 대하여 검토하였다. 검토 결과 첫째, 대응되는 미국기업과 달리, 증권거래소와 기업규모가 동 한국기업의 과세공격적 행위에 중요한 역할을 하지 못하는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 소매 산업에 속한 한국기업이 통신, 금융 및 비즈니스 서비스 산업에 속한 한국기업보다 더욱 과세공격적인 성향을 보였다. 셋째, 동 한국기업은 대응되는 미국기업에 비하여 덜 과세공격적인 성향을 나타냈다. 본 연구는 또한 다른 조세회피 측정치들을 이용하여 동 한국기업의 조세회피성향을 검토하였으며, 이는 혼재된 결과를 보여주었다. 마지막으로 본 연구는 미인식 세제혜택(UTB)과 다른 조세회피 측정치들 간 상관관계를 분석하였으며, 그 결과 미인식 세제혜택(UTB)과 장기현금유효세율 간에 통계적으로 유의미한 음의 상관관계가 있는 것으로 나타났다.

Keywords

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