Nível de tributação sobre o lucro e processos de litígios fiscais e seus impactos na reputação das empresas brasileiras de capital aberto

Abstract

Corporate reputation is an important tool to help organizations achieve their financial performance. Similarly, reducing taxes (tax avoidance) is also a strategic tool to increase financial performance through tax savings. However, an aggressive reduction in taxes can lead to tax disputes, which in turn may or may not negatively affect corporate reputation, thus characterizing controversial strategies. Although in the literature it is possible to find studies that evaluate the relationship between taxation levels and variables such as: governance, crisis, sustainability, among others, no study was found that relates the level of taxation on profit to corporate reputation. No studies associated with tax litigation processes were also found. This fact highlights a gap that this research aims to assess. The study aims to verify whether reputation is affected by tax litigation processes related to taxes on profits, associated with a low level of taxation. It is expected that the results will contribute to the increase of the literature on the subject, given its scarcity. It is also assumed that it contributes to a reflection by managers on the decisions taken in relation to the reduction of taxes on profits and their impacts on the reputation of companies. Thus, evaluating whether these decisions are in fact strategic or not. For reputation, categorical variables were used for the presence or absence of companies in the reputation rankings, Corporate Sustainability Index and Biggest and Best (ISE and MM, acronyms in Portuguese) proceeding with logistic regression to reach the explicit objectives. The results indicate that the company presenting tax litigation does not reduce the probability of having a strong reputation. Already the low level of taxation, yes. The interaction of the two events, in turn, does not decrease the probability that the company has a strong reputation, that is, tax litigation and low taxation occurring simultaneously do not negatively affect the company's reputation.