This study uses a unique institutional setting in China to investigate empirically the association between the organizational form of CPA firms (unlimited liability versus limited liability) and the reporting conservatism of auditors. Based on a sample of 5,007 audits of Chinese listed companies...

This paper investigates the underexplored issue of whether and how firms manage their earnings when tax rates increase. We hypothesize and find that firms generally choose to manage their taxable income upward in a book-tax non-conforming manner rather than in a book-tax conforming manner before...

This study examines tax, financial reporting, and tunneling incentives on the transfer pricing decisions of Chinese listed companies. We use the relative gross profit ratios of related- and unrelated-party transactions to measure transfer pricing strategies. We find evidence supporting the view...

This study examines the effectiveness of regulatory sanctions as deterrents to auditors' unethical behavior. Although the effectiveness of formal sanctions is crucial for regulators and policy makers, few empirical studies have addressed the issue. In this paper, we provide empirical evidence on...

Taking advantage of the agency conflicts between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders and the weak corporate governance in a transition economy, we investigate the relationship between tax avoidance (proxied by effective tax rates) and tunneling (proxied by related-party lending)...

Local governments play dual, but conflicting roles in China's tax system. That is, they are both tax collectors and controlling shareholders of firms subject to tax payments. We investigate how local governments balance their tax collection and tax avoidance incentives. We find that the...

We examine the relevance of the disclosure of internal control weaknesses (ICWs) by target firms for acquirers in making their merger-and-acquisition (M&A) decisions. Based on a sample of M&A transactions in 2005–2018, we find that acquirers offer lower premiums for targets that disclose ICWs...

COVID-19 had a devastating impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally. Hong Kong implemented an Anti-Epidemic Fund (AEF) which aims to address, among others, the financing needs of SMEs through subsidies and government-guaranteed loans. To shed light on the impact of COVID-19 on SMEs...

Financially distressed companies are more likely to be rescued as going concerns if they enter into debt restructuring early whilst still high up on the ‘demise curve’. In Hong Kong, early-stage non-consensual debt restructuring is effected via the scheme of arrangement. Yet, despite the...

In this study, we examine whether Chinese CPA firms with more partners available to perform audit engagements deliver higher quality services. Based on a sample of 2,990 company-year observations over the period 2002–2015, we find that CPA firms with smaller staff-partner ratios are associated...