Business Faculty Publications

Title

Tax Practitioners And Ordering Effects Of Information In An Ethical Decision

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 10-1-2012

Publication Title

Journal of Business and Accounting

Keywords

belief revision; order effects; tax practitioners; client advocacy; Accounting/Taxation

Disciplines

Accounting | Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Taxation

Abstract

This study investigates the ordering of information (pro-client or pro-IRS) and its effect on the tax professional's belief of whether to disclose the tax position taken on behalf of the client to the IRS. Tax professionals were assigned to one of two groups. Each group was given the same initial scenario which took a neutral position. Then, Group 1 first received information that is classified as pro-client while Group 2 first received information that is classified as pro-IRS. The information order was then reversed with Group 1 receiving the pro-IRS information and Group 2 receiving the pro-client information. The results indicate that there is an information ordering effect for both groups. The tax professionals' decision to disclose or not disclose to the IRS significantly changed as each piece of information was given to them. The mean score for both groups converged after being given the first piece of information contrary to the information previously received.

Version

Postprint

Volume

5

Issue

1

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