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Pioneers of Critical Accounting pp 259–274Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Big Four Accounting Firms: Addicted to Tax Avoidance

Abstract

Major accountancy firms are a significant fraction of capital and exercise considerable influence on corporate governance, accounting, auditing and regulatory apparatuses. Their anti-social practices are frequently camouflaged with claims of ethical conduct and serving the public interest. This chapter shows that in pursuit of private profits accountancy firms have become key players in developing and marketing tax avoidance schemes which deprive the state of much needed revenues for social investment. On occasions the courts have declared some of the tax avoidance schemes to be unlawful. The firms remain addicted to avoidance schemes even though they have been fined and some of their personnel have received prison sentences. Following Tony Lowe’s edits, this chapter urges scholars to provide a critical scrutiny of the practices of major firms.

Keywords

  • Accountancy firms
  • Tax avoidance
  • The state
  • Profession

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Essex Business School, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, UK

    Prem Sikka

Authors
  1. Prem Sikka
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Sheffield, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Jim Haslam

  2. University of Essex, Basildon, United Kingdom

    Prem Sikka

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© 2016 The Author(s)

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Sikka, P. (2016). Big Four Accounting Firms: Addicted to Tax Avoidance. In: Haslam, J., Sikka, P. (eds) Pioneers of Critical Accounting. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54212-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54212-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-54211-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-54212-0

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

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