The Presence of Women on the Board and Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange

Today, women are considered as one of the main pillars of corporate decision making, which can contribute to the development and promotion of corporate initiatives and projects within the framework of the development of trust and confidence of shareholders and society. The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between the presence of women on boards of directors and tax avoidance in firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. To do so, a sample of 97 companies were surveyed during the years 2011 to 2015 and tested using multivariate regression models based on panel data. The results of the research showed that the presence of women on corporate boards reduces corporate tax avoidance. Moreover, Additional analysis reveals that the negative association between presence of women on boards and corporate tax avoidance is more pronounced in larger firms. The findings of current study not only fill existing gaps in the field, but also help investors, tax regulators and other accounting stakeholders make informed decisions