Penghindaran Pajak, Manajemen Laba, dan Financial Distress pada Masa Pandemi Covid-19

Ahmad Sigid Febriyanto, Zuni Barokah, S.E., M.Comm., Ph.D., CA.

2024 | Tesis | S2 Ilmu Akuntansi/Akuntansi Terapan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh manajemen laba akrual, manajemen laba riil, dan financial distress terhadap penghindaran pajak. Krisis pandemi Covid-19 membuat tekanan terhadap perusahaan menjadi makin besar, intensitas perusahaan untuk menjalankan manajemen laba akrual dan manajemen laba riil makin besar, dan probabilitas perusahaan menghadapi financial distress juga makin besar sehingga tingkat penghindaran pajak diprediksi juga makin besar. Dengan demikian, pandemi Covid-19 akan memperkuat pengaruh manajemen laba akrual, manajemen laba riil, dan financial distress terhadap penghindaran pajak. Penelitian ini menggunakan 714 observasi pada perusahaan yang tercatat di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2017–2022. Pengukuran penghindaran pajak memakai tarif pajak efektif kini (Current ETR) sebagai proksi utama dan book-tax differences (BTD) sebagai analisis tambahan. Pengujian hipotesis dilakukan dengan metode robust regression estimasi-MM. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa manajemen laba akrual dan financial distress berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap penghindaran pajak, tetapi manajemen laba riil tidak berpengaruh terhadap penghindaran pajak. Namun, pandemi Covid-19 tidak memperkuat pengaruh tersebut. Tekanan keuangan akibat pandemi Covid-19 tidak serta merta membuat perusahaan melakukan penghindaran pajak yang lebih agresif. Pemberian insentif fiskal tampaknya menjadi alasan perusahaan publik di Indonesia tidak melakukan penghindaran pajak yang lebih agresif selama pandemi Covid-19.

This research examines the influence of accrual earnings management, real earnings management, and financial distress on tax avoidance. The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has resulted in greater pressure on companies, greater intensity in carrying out accrual earnings management and real earnings management, and greater probability of financial distress, so that the level of tax avoidance is predicted to be greater. Thus, the Covid-19 pandemic will strengthen the influence of accrual earnings management, real earnings management and financial distress on tax avoidance. This research used 714 firm-years of firms listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2017-2022. The measurement of tax avoidance used the current effective tax rate (Current ETR) as the main proxy and book-tax differences (BTD) as an additional analysis. Hypothesis testing was carried out using the robust regression MM-estimation method. The regression results showed that accrual earnings management and financial distress had a significant positive effect on tax avoidance, but real earnings management did not affect on tax avoidance. However, the Covid-19 pandemic did not strengthen these influences. Financial pressure due to the Covid-19 pandemic did not necessarily make companies carry out more aggressive tax avoidance. Providing fiscal incentives appeared to be the reason public companies in Indonesia did not carry out more aggressive tax avoidance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kata Kunci : penghindaran pajak, manajemen laba akrual, manajemen laba riil, financial distress, pandemi Covid-19