Investigating the Relationship between Political Connections , Tax Avoidance And Related Party Transactions On Fairm Value: Test of Political Economy Theory in Tehran Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between political Connections, tax avoidance and Related Party Transactions on the value of the company with emphasis on the of political economy theory in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. The statistical population of the study was using the information of 125 companies during the period from 2009 to 2019 and the hypotheses were tested through multiple regression and generalized least squares (EGLS) method by arranging panel data with a fixed effects approach. The results showed that political relations, tax avoidance and transactions with persons dependent on the value of the company have a negative and significant effect. Political connections also intensify the relationship between transactions with affiliates and the avoidance of valuable corporate taxes, so that the existence of transactions with affiliates in companies with political affiliations; Leads to a decrease in the value of the company. These results indicate that firms with strong political affiliations are more likely to engage in transactions with affiliates out of the ordinary. The existence of a negative relationship between transactions with affiliates and the value of the company confirms the theory of agency, which states that such transactions are used in the direction of opportunism management and personal interests for managers and cause the company and shareholders to suffer. It turns out. Also, in companies whose managers, in addition to having political connections, also pursue tax avoidance goals, the value of the company decreases. This is because the managers of state-owned companies have a short-term decision-making horizon and try to increase their current performance and thus their rewards and reduce or postpone the amount of tax payable by any means possible, including manipulation and profit management. The problem eventually leads to the devaluation of the company. In general, according to the theory of political economy, the operating environment is not transparent due to the government's support for political communication in companies where political relations prevail. As a result, the quality of information in companies with political information is lower than other companies and as a result leads to a decrease in the value of the company. Keywords: Political Communication, Tax Avoidance, Dealing with Affiliates, Company Value.