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This paper aims to examine the impact of female AC representation (ACFEMALE) following the adoption of gender quota legislation on the trade-off between accrual-based (AEM) and real earnings management (REM), taking into consideration their demographic attributes.

A sample of 89 companies listed in the SBF 120 during the period 2012–2018 has been employed. The authors have obtained the explanatory variables using the principal component analysis method. To provide empirical evidence for the testable hypotheses, the authors have estimated a least squares regression. A differences-in-differences analysis has been estimated to analyze the impact of the gender quota law imposition.

The regression results indicate that companies with a higher proportion of ACFEMALE have more tendency to use REM rather than AEM. The authors further denote that the ACFEMALE expertise negatively affects AEM. Moreover, the authors find that the ACFEMALE experience helps reduce both AEM and REM. Results from the DID analysis exhibit that the ACFEMALE effect on the trade-off between REM and AEM occurs for the period that follows the implementation of the French gender quota law. Furthermore, the authors denote that the negative link between the ACFEMALE experience and AEM and REM dissipates for both the pre- and the postgender quota law adoption.

This study extends the prior existing research by examining, for the first time, the relationship between female directors’ appointments and the trade-off between accrual-based and REM. As well as, the research provides primary evidence on the channels through which female directors may affect the managerial preference regarding the earnings management techniques AEM or REM.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of industry specialization of audit partners and audit committee members on the level of tax avoidance in Australian banks.

This study uses a multivariate regression analysis based on hand-collected data consisting of 180 observations from Australian domestic banks between 2010 and 2018.

The primary results of the empirical analysis indicate that audit partner industry specialization is negatively associated with the level of tax avoidance in Australian banks. Regarding the audit committee, the proportion of industry specialists among audit committee members reduces the magnitude of tax avoidance. These results are robust, as they hold the same for alternative measures of tax avoidance and industry specialization of audit partner and audit committee members. Results from supplementary analysis reveal that the interactive effect of both audit firm and audit partner industry specialization strengthens the auditors’ effectiveness in reducing the level of tax avoidance.

As this study highlights the importance of the industry specialization in decreasing tax avoidance, it can be beneficial for policymakers to assess the impact of good governance on the level of tax avoidance in the banking industry.

Even though the existing studies examine the link between the governance actors’ industry specialization and tax avoidance in nonfinancial firms, this paper explores the banking industry that differs from nonfinancial firms in among others; accounting and fiscal regulations. This study further provides unique evidence indicating that industry specialization of the audit partner constitutes a significant determinant of minimizing the bank’s level of tax avoidance.