ARBITRASE: JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTING
Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026): March 2026

Unveiling Tax Avoidance: The Mediating Role of Sustainability Reporting Quality in Board Influence

Ezar, Abraham Romamti (Unknown)
Widianingsih, Luky Patricia (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Mar 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of board size on tax avoidance in Indonesian public companies, with sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) as a mediating variable. Using panel data from 48 energy sector firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2023, multiple linear regression analysis is employed. Drawing on agency theory, this study examines whether board size enhances monitoring effectiveness and reduces information asymmetry, thereby constraining managerial tax behavior. The results show that board size does not have a significant direct effect on tax avoidance, indicating that governance structure alone is insufficient to influence complex tax decisions in capital-intensive industries. However, board size has a significant positive effect on sustainability reporting quality, suggesting stronger oversight and improved disclosure quality. Despite this, sustainability reporting quality does not have a significant effect on book–tax differences, and its mediating role in the relationship between board size and tax avoidance is rejected. Among control variables, only profitability ROA significantly affects tax avoidance, highlighting financial performance as the dominant agency-related driver of managerial tax decisions. Overall, the findings suggest that agency pressures arising from profitability outweigh governance and sustainability disclosure mechanisms in shaping corporate tax behavior.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

arbitrase

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

1. Auditing, 2. Financial Management, 3. Marketing Management, 4. Strategic Management, 5. Organizational Behavior, 6. Operations Management, 7. Change Management, 8. Management of Sharia, 9. Knowledge Management 10. Entrepreneurship, 11. E-Business, 12. Business Management, 13. Capital Market, 14. ...