Thomas Porcano - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Thomas Porcano
Compensat Benefit Rev, 1985
Multinational Business Review, Apr 1, 1996
International Business Economics Research Journal, Feb 25, 2011
Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of ins... more Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of instructor performance. However, there is controversy regarding the validity of SETs. Research has identified and studied many variables that might affect students' ratings of teachers and their perceptions of the class environment, and the results are mixed regarding the relation among and effects of the variables. Obtaining mid-semester instructor feedback might affect how students perceive the instructor, especially if a particular concern is consistently identified and the instructor responds to the concern. Additionally, student performance might increase. Thus, midsemester instructor feedback is one variable that might have a significant impact on SETs but it has gone unstudied. This paper contains the results of a study designed to determine the impact of mid-semester instructor feedback on student evaluations of the instructor and various variables of the class environment. The results indicate that students in classes that used the feedback (IF) did not perform better than students in classes that did not use the feedback (NIF); however, students gave higher ratings to the instructor and certain class variables in the IF courses than in the NIF courses.
Journal of Accountancy, Oct 1, 1992
International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 2011
Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of ins... more Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of instructor performance. However, there is controversy regarding the validity of SETs. Research has identified and studied many variables that might affect students ratings of teachers and their perceptions of the class environment, and the results are mixed regarding the relation among and effects of the variables. Obtaining mid-semester instructor feedback might affect how students perceive the instructor, especially if a particular concern is consistently identified and the instructor responds to the concern. Additionally, student performance might increase. Thus, mid-semester instructor feedback is one variable that might have a significant impact on SETs but it has gone unstudied. This paper contains the results of a study designed to determine the impact of mid-semester instructor feedback on student evaluations of the instructor and various variables of the class environment. The resu...
Multinational Business Review, Oct 1, 1993
Compensation & Benefits Review, 1985
This article analyzes the taxation methods used by the states and describes what constitutes a un... more This article analyzes the taxation methods used by the states and describes what constitutes a unitary business. The authors give a historical perspective of the relevant court decisions in this area. The fact that almost 40% of the Supreme Court cases addressing this issue involve large oil companies illustrates the importance of this area to oil companies. The authors discuss the need for uniformity in state laws and the need for congressional action after the case analysis. They note the reluctance and sometimes refusal of many corporations to furnish the information needed to determine unitary issues, and cite the questionnaires some states require the corporations to file. They also cite the fairness issue when only some states tax foreign income. Congress appears to be in the best position to evaluate the multiple factors and assess the arguments surrounding the policy issues.
Advances in Taxation, 2008
ABSTRACT Accounting programs and tax course offerings have been evolving in recent years, and one... more ABSTRACT Accounting programs and tax course offerings have been evolving in recent years, and one concern is the coverage of international tax topics. Although international tax is of prime importance to multinational corporations and Congress, little research has addressed the extent to which accounting programs cover international tax topics and whether demand for such coverage exists. This chapter presents the results of surveys about how students desiring a career in international tax services (ITS) can obtain international tax knowledge and what topical areas are most important. Many graduate accounting and taxation programs offer stand-alone international tax courses. Recruiters and professors characterize foreign tax credits, transfer pricing and treaties as the most important areas to emphasize in these courses. Though not essential to a career in ITS, taking an international tax course while in school exposes the student to this career opportunity, and a significant percentage of new hires come from programs offering such a course. Our results provide accounting educators with information to evaluate their coverage of international tax topics, and to make changes if needed.
Advances in Taxation, 2003
ABSTRACT An assimilation and a synthesis of the major General Accounting Office (GAO) reports rel... more ABSTRACT An assimilation and a synthesis of the major General Accounting Office (GAO) reports released on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for calendar year 2002 reveal a variety of tax administration problems. An analysis of the GAO reports also suggests that the IRS might be a contributor to the non-compliance problem. Additionally, Congresses and Administrations have not facilitated meaningful improvements.While the GAO reports generally attempt to portray the ongoing modernization efforts within the IRS favorably, the weaknesses identified suggest that significant tax administration problems exist. This article presents a detailed analysis of the GAO overall report on the 2002-filing season and assesses GAO reports and testimonies that contain IRS in their titles.
The International Journal of Accounting, 1998
Research in Accounting Regulation, 2003
ABSTRACT The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the primary regulatory body that oversees ... more ABSTRACT The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the primary regulatory body that oversees the operations of the financial markets, requires that publicly-traded companies be subject to an annual audit – a set of procedures designed to determine whether a firm’s financial statements fairly comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). When performing audits, auditors use generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) as guidelines in determining the amount of evidence to gather and to what degree the client’s accounting system may be relied upon.Since investors and their advisors rely on audited financial statements to make investment decisions, auditors have a significant impact on the financial community and capital markets. Accordingly, auditors must be diligent in the execution of their duties. However, notwithstanding the high level of care exercised by most auditors, sometimes misleading or erroneous information is released to the investing public, and this article focuses on recent case law dealing with the auditor liability that attaches in such situations.
The ATA Journal of Legal Tax Research, 2003
Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, 2007
Although penalties and audits exist, tax evasion is a widespread phenomenon and continues to be a... more Although penalties and audits exist, tax evasion is a widespread phenomenon and continues to be a problem for many countries. National culture may contribute to a further understanding of intentional noncompliance across countries. In this study, we investigate the influence of national culture on tax compliance levels across 50 countries. Using Hofstede's (1980) cultural framework as a basis for our hypotheses, we find that a noncompliant country's profile is characterized by high uncertainty avoidance, low individualism, low masculinity, and high power distance. Our results have implications for both research and practice. This is the first study to employ Hofstede's cultural framework as an explanator of international tax compliance diversity and serves as the starting point for the development of an international tax compliance framework. Tax policy implications also are addressed.
Compensat Benefit Rev, 1985
Multinational Business Review, Apr 1, 1996
International Business Economics Research Journal, Feb 25, 2011
Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of ins... more Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of instructor performance. However, there is controversy regarding the validity of SETs. Research has identified and studied many variables that might affect students' ratings of teachers and their perceptions of the class environment, and the results are mixed regarding the relation among and effects of the variables. Obtaining mid-semester instructor feedback might affect how students perceive the instructor, especially if a particular concern is consistently identified and the instructor responds to the concern. Additionally, student performance might increase. Thus, midsemester instructor feedback is one variable that might have a significant impact on SETs but it has gone unstudied. This paper contains the results of a study designed to determine the impact of mid-semester instructor feedback on student evaluations of the instructor and various variables of the class environment. The results indicate that students in classes that used the feedback (IF) did not perform better than students in classes that did not use the feedback (NIF); however, students gave higher ratings to the instructor and certain class variables in the IF courses than in the NIF courses.
Journal of Accountancy, Oct 1, 1992
International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 2011
Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of ins... more Student evaluations of teachers (SETs) are commonly used in many universities as a measure of instructor performance. However, there is controversy regarding the validity of SETs. Research has identified and studied many variables that might affect students ratings of teachers and their perceptions of the class environment, and the results are mixed regarding the relation among and effects of the variables. Obtaining mid-semester instructor feedback might affect how students perceive the instructor, especially if a particular concern is consistently identified and the instructor responds to the concern. Additionally, student performance might increase. Thus, mid-semester instructor feedback is one variable that might have a significant impact on SETs but it has gone unstudied. This paper contains the results of a study designed to determine the impact of mid-semester instructor feedback on student evaluations of the instructor and various variables of the class environment. The resu...
Multinational Business Review, Oct 1, 1993
Compensation & Benefits Review, 1985
This article analyzes the taxation methods used by the states and describes what constitutes a un... more This article analyzes the taxation methods used by the states and describes what constitutes a unitary business. The authors give a historical perspective of the relevant court decisions in this area. The fact that almost 40% of the Supreme Court cases addressing this issue involve large oil companies illustrates the importance of this area to oil companies. The authors discuss the need for uniformity in state laws and the need for congressional action after the case analysis. They note the reluctance and sometimes refusal of many corporations to furnish the information needed to determine unitary issues, and cite the questionnaires some states require the corporations to file. They also cite the fairness issue when only some states tax foreign income. Congress appears to be in the best position to evaluate the multiple factors and assess the arguments surrounding the policy issues.
Advances in Taxation, 2008
ABSTRACT Accounting programs and tax course offerings have been evolving in recent years, and one... more ABSTRACT Accounting programs and tax course offerings have been evolving in recent years, and one concern is the coverage of international tax topics. Although international tax is of prime importance to multinational corporations and Congress, little research has addressed the extent to which accounting programs cover international tax topics and whether demand for such coverage exists. This chapter presents the results of surveys about how students desiring a career in international tax services (ITS) can obtain international tax knowledge and what topical areas are most important. Many graduate accounting and taxation programs offer stand-alone international tax courses. Recruiters and professors characterize foreign tax credits, transfer pricing and treaties as the most important areas to emphasize in these courses. Though not essential to a career in ITS, taking an international tax course while in school exposes the student to this career opportunity, and a significant percentage of new hires come from programs offering such a course. Our results provide accounting educators with information to evaluate their coverage of international tax topics, and to make changes if needed.
Advances in Taxation, 2003
ABSTRACT An assimilation and a synthesis of the major General Accounting Office (GAO) reports rel... more ABSTRACT An assimilation and a synthesis of the major General Accounting Office (GAO) reports released on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for calendar year 2002 reveal a variety of tax administration problems. An analysis of the GAO reports also suggests that the IRS might be a contributor to the non-compliance problem. Additionally, Congresses and Administrations have not facilitated meaningful improvements.While the GAO reports generally attempt to portray the ongoing modernization efforts within the IRS favorably, the weaknesses identified suggest that significant tax administration problems exist. This article presents a detailed analysis of the GAO overall report on the 2002-filing season and assesses GAO reports and testimonies that contain IRS in their titles.
The International Journal of Accounting, 1998
Research in Accounting Regulation, 2003
ABSTRACT The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the primary regulatory body that oversees ... more ABSTRACT The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the primary regulatory body that oversees the operations of the financial markets, requires that publicly-traded companies be subject to an annual audit – a set of procedures designed to determine whether a firm’s financial statements fairly comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). When performing audits, auditors use generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) as guidelines in determining the amount of evidence to gather and to what degree the client’s accounting system may be relied upon.Since investors and their advisors rely on audited financial statements to make investment decisions, auditors have a significant impact on the financial community and capital markets. Accordingly, auditors must be diligent in the execution of their duties. However, notwithstanding the high level of care exercised by most auditors, sometimes misleading or erroneous information is released to the investing public, and this article focuses on recent case law dealing with the auditor liability that attaches in such situations.
The ATA Journal of Legal Tax Research, 2003
Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, 2007
Although penalties and audits exist, tax evasion is a widespread phenomenon and continues to be a... more Although penalties and audits exist, tax evasion is a widespread phenomenon and continues to be a problem for many countries. National culture may contribute to a further understanding of intentional noncompliance across countries. In this study, we investigate the influence of national culture on tax compliance levels across 50 countries. Using Hofstede's (1980) cultural framework as a basis for our hypotheses, we find that a noncompliant country's profile is characterized by high uncertainty avoidance, low individualism, low masculinity, and high power distance. Our results have implications for both research and practice. This is the first study to employ Hofstede's cultural framework as an explanator of international tax compliance diversity and serves as the starting point for the development of an international tax compliance framework. Tax policy implications also are addressed.