Can transparency solve the problems of our time?
Can transparency solve the problems of our time?
Some days, the world seems to be drowning in a sea of problems: Tax and accounting scandals are causing unrest. In the markets and in living rooms. Pandemics and other crises threaten the global economy – and climate change endangers our livelihood. One that is often summoned to solve the problems of our time is transparency. But can transparency really keep this promise? The researchers of the TRR 266 examine this question in various projects. Find out more in our explanatory video and further down the page.
How does the research of the TRR 266 help to solve the problems of our time?
How can accounting and taxation support the transition to a fair and sustainable economy and society? What is the best way to help companies get through a crisis? How to prevent tax evasion? And what role can disclosure requirements play in this? The TRR 266 researchers are investigating these and other important questions in various projects. Their research provides important insights that can help combat the challenges of our time:
Sustainability
New reporting obligations, taxes, legal requirements – there are many measures designed to pave the way towards a sustainable society and economy. The researchers in the TRR 266 are investigating how effective these instruments really are – and they are developing metrics and models that help different stakeholders to set the right course for a sustainable future.
Labour market for accounting professionals
Accounting professionals play a pivotal role in the production and auditing of financial information disclosed by companies. However, very little is known about how the supply of competent, qualified and independent accountants is determined in the labor market and how institutions shape this supply. The project A10 “Talent and Transparency” therefore investigates how the labor market for accountants operates – and how labor market outcomes map into reporting quality.
Covid-19 and other crises
Whether it is the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine or the conflicts in Yemen and other parts of the world – the crises of the past few years have brought many changes and posed with new challenges and questions for businesses, society and politics. Is a major wave of insolvencies imminent? What is the best way to help companies survive the crisis? And what are the effects of working from home & Co. on employees and productivity in the company? The researchers of the TRR 266 investigate these and other questions.
An effective tax system
New tax laws and reporting requirements such as the global minimum tax, country-by-country reporting or sustainability reporting show: the tax world is constantly developing. New regulations bring with new challenges such as increased complexity. With their research in the TRR 266 our researchers contribute to making tax systems as transparent, effective and simple as needed.
Understanding and improving disclosure
To use disclosure as an effective tool, it is important to understand how voluntary and mandatory disclosure work – and how and why they are used. Under what circumstances does the disclosure of information lead to greater transparency? What are the costs of mandatory disclosure? Why do disclosure requirements differ from country to country? And what are their effects and side effects?
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