Tax Haven Use and Related‐Party Transactions: Evidence from Australia

Abstract

Related‐party transactions (RPTs) and transfer pricing techniques are typically used by multinational enterprises to reduce their tax obligations by shifting the income to zero or to low‐tax countries. These techniques have thrived and have emerged as a significant concern for tax authorities. This study investigates the effect of tax haven utilisation on related‐party sales pricing in a sample of Australian listed firms. We find that tax haven use is positively and significantly associated with related‐party sales pricing. Moreover, we identify a positive and significant interaction between tax havens and earnings management with related‐party sales pricing. Ownership concentration and its interaction effect with tax havens are significant predictors of the increased use of related‐party sales pricing. Overall, the empirical findings demonstrate that earnings management, a high level of ownership concentration and the use of tax havens are substantial factors that enable firms to obtain tax benefits via the use of RPTs.