Educoretax
Vol 6 No 11 (2026)

Thin capitalization and tax avoidance: The moderating role of independent commissioners

Davi Judha Darmawan (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak)
Amrie Firmansyah (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Nov 2026

Abstract

This study examines the effect of thin capitalization on tax avoidance and the moderating role of independent commissioners in consumer non-cyclical companies in Indonesia. The study employs 150 firm-year observations from companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2021-2023. The hypotheses are tested using fixed-effects panel regression estimated via Generalized Least Squares (GLS) to address heteroskedasticity. The results indicate that thin capitalization has a positive effect on tax avoidance, while independent commissioners weaken this relationship. These findings suggest that debt financing provides firms with opportunities to reduce their tax burdens through interest deductions. In contrast, greater representation of independent commissioners may constrain the tax-related implications of financing decisions. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the role of corporate governance in moderating the relationship between thin capitalization and tax avoidance. The findings also provide implications for the Directorate General of Taxes in strengthening risk-based supervision of debt-related tax deductions and corporate financing arrangements.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

educoretax

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

Educoretax is a place for disseminating research results in the field of taxation, including, but not limited to, topics on central taxes, customs, excise, local taxes, regional levies, tax accounting, tax law, tax administration, tax information systems, public policies, and other ...