Are There Factors Driving Tax Aggressiveness in Listed Companies? Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the factors driving tax aggressiveness of listed companies in Nigeria. A sample of sixty listed non- financial firms was selected for the study using the simple random sampling technique. The data were sourced from the annual reports of the sampled companies in the period (2010-2017) under reference. This study used the descriptive statistics and panel least square and dynamic panel regression methods to analyse the data. The findings from the empirical investigation indicate that managerial ownership and firm size exerts positive effects on tax aggressiveness. Board _size. board independence and leverage exerted negative impacts Off tax aggressiveness. The study concludes that board size, board independence and amount of leverage in firms contribute to the level of tax aggressiveness in Nigeria. Based on the robust empirical findings, the study suggests that quoted firms in Nigeria should ensure the composition of corporate board contains optimal mix of executive and non — executive directors who are professional accountants, tax experts, business strategists and legal experts. This calibre of persons should be able to bring their wealth of experience and training to positively influence key decision making regarding tax expenses minimisation and the strategies.