Corporate Tax Avoidance of Malaysian Public Listed Companies: A Multi-Measure Analysis

While the topic of corporate tax avoidance has been experiencing ceaseless attention among researchers, its empirical aspect is still facing challenge constructing a single universally accepted measure such practice. Due to confidential nature returns, most studies have had rely on financial statements information developed proxy measures as effective rates (ETRs) and book-tax differences (BTDs) (Hanlon & Heitzman, 2010). Nevertheless, these proxies possess their individual advantages well limitations. Such available choices may therefore cause confusions researchers in choosing suitable for studies. As mainstream focused mostly economies like United States, Kingdom, Australia, there scarcity developing countries (Salihu et al., 2015). The unique jurisdictional laws enforcement systems hinder extant findings' applicability less economically-developed countries, especially those highly dependent income revenue which especial true with regard Malaysia (Mohanadas 2020). Though not abundant numbers, published found that Malaysian public listed companies were indeed being consistently tax-avoidant since 1990s. respectively employed only avoidance. Indeed, nearly all used variations ETR while few applied BTD measures. Their mutually exclusive application could negatively impact ability capture tax-deferring strategies 2010; Lennox 2013). It thus worsened risk potential distortion results level would led flawed conclusions made. In view above, this study seeks years 2015 until 2019 using both Furthermore, aims analyse how closely two are related respective appraisals companies' level. Keywords: Corporate Tax Avoidance; GAAP ETR; Cash Total BTD; Permanent BTD.