Tax risk-management analysis: Comparison between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and South Africa

Abstract

Tax risk-management (TRM) is a little-studied area of corporate governance, despite the proliferation of ever more complex tax legislation that can have a material impact on the sustainability of organisations. In this light, the aim of this research is to explore policies and procedures relied on by tax authorities in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and South Africa to encourage a culture of compliance with tax laws. For this purpose, the research differentiates between specific and generic tax risks. These include transaction, operational, compliance, financial accounting, portfolio, management and reputation risk. The study highlights how each TRM-related policy or programme addresses these tax risks and compares the TRM systems in the three jurisdictions.