The effects of tax clienteles on disclosure: Evidence from the municipal bond market

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chen, Novia; Hutchens, Michelle; Xia, Junwei
• 署名单位: University of Houston System; University of Houston; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Charlotte; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING & ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0165-4101; 1879-1980
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2026.101910
• 发表日期: 2026-11
• 页码: 101910
• 关键词: Municipal bonds; Tax clienteles; Continuing disclosure; institutional investors

摘要

The municipal bond market has long been criticized for its lack of disclosure, which prior research often attributes to weak regulatory oversight. We offer another explanation: tax clienteles. Most municipal bonds are tax-exempt, and thus primarily attract high-tax retail investors, who may lack the incentive or ability to demand or monitor disclosures. In contrast, taxable bonds attract a broader investor base, including institutional investors who can demand disclosure. We find that issuers provide more continuing disclosures in years with taxable bonds outstanding relative to years without. Issuers also increase disclosures after issuing their first taxable bond and decrease disclosures after calling their last taxable bond. Exploiting a tax law change, we find that disclosures increase following plausibly exogenous increases in taxable bond issuances. Our results suggest that the tax clienteles for municipal bonds affect issuers' disclosure practices and can inform those concerned with disclosure noncompliance in the municipal bond market.