Main Article Content
Abstract
This study analyzes tax audit literature from 2015 to 2025 to understand global research developments. This topic is important because tax audits play a central role in improving compliance, suppressing tax evasion, and strengthening fiscal justice. Using bibliometric methods, this study utilized 297 articles from 130 Scopus-indexed journals, including an overview, trends & contributors, articles & authors, network analysis, thematic maps, and the evolution of themes in tax audit research. The results show a significant publication rate of 16.23% per year, dominated by developed countries, and a shift in research focus from administrative aspects to strategic governance. Key themes identified include tax enforcement, tax compliance, and corporate governance. The evolution of tax audit research has now shifted its focus from administrative aspects to a multidisciplinary strategic approach. These findings are important for strengthening fiscal policy and increasing the effectiveness of tax audits.
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References
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- Ratto, M., Thomas, R., & Ulph, D. (2012). The indirect effects of auditing taxpayers. Public Finance Review, 41(3), 317-333. https://doi.org/10.1177/1091142112448414
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- Xu, J., Liu, S. (2023). Current status, evolutionary path, and development trends of low-carbon technology innovation: a bibliometric analysis. Environ Dev Sustain 26, 24151-24182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03640-z
References
Advani, A., Elming, W., & Shaw, J. (2023). The dynamic effects of tax audits. Review of Economics and Statistics, 105(3), 545–561. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01101
Alm, J. (2019). What Motivates Tax Compliance?. Journal of Economic Surveys, 33, 353-388.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12272
Bao, X., Zhang, H., Pan, K., & Wei, C. (2020). A bibliometric analysis of research on auditing for sustainable corporate governance. In 2020 2nd International Conference on Economic Management and Model Engineering (ICEMME) (pp. 132–139). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEMME51517.2020.00034
Budak, U. S., & Yerdelen-Damar, S. (2025). The synthesis for research trends in identity studies in STEM education: A bibliometric analysis of the STEM literature. Science Education International, 36(2), 146-159. https://doi.org/10.33828/sei.v36.i2.3
Díaz Tautiva, J. A., Huaman, J., & Ponce Oliva, R. D. (2024). Trends in research on climate change and organizations: A bibliometric analysis (1999-2021). Management Review Quarterly, 74(1), 227-261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-022-00298-1
El Agy, M., Bentalha, B., Bouhtati, N., Alla, L., Alj, B., & Aarabe, M. (2025). Determinant of the compliant behavior of the taxpayer: Bibliometric and prospective approach. In B. Alj, L. Alla, & B. Bentalha (Eds.), Modeling and Profiling Taxpayer Behavior and Compliance (pp. 1-32). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Ellegaard, O., Wallin, J.A. (2015). The bibliometric analysis of scholarly production: How great is the impact?. Scientometrics 105, 1809-1831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1645-z
Irawan, F., Utama, A.S. (2021). The impact of tax audit and corruption perception on tax evasion. International Journal of Business and Society, 22(3), 1158–1173. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.4290.2021
Gulluscio, C., Puntillo, P., Luciani, V., & Huisingh, D. (2020). Climate change accounting and reporting: a systematic literature review. Sustainability, 12(13), 5455. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135455
Hassan, M. I. A., Borbély, K, & Tóth, Á. (2024). The development of the European Union auditing research over the past decade: A systematic literature review and future research opportunities. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting. Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-03-2024-0124
IMF. (2020). Revenue mobilization in developing countries. International Monetary Fund.
IMF. (2023). Fiscal monitor: Taxing times. International Monetary Fund.
Jawad, H. A., Naser, A. A., Shakir, A. G. (2024). The role of tax audits in revealing the true
Income of taxpayers. International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies, 17(01), 83-101.
Kasper, M., & Alm, J. (2022). Audits, audit effectiveness, and post-audit tax compliance. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 196, 336–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.01.003
Kirchler, E., Kogler, C., & Muehlbacher, S. (2021). Tax compliance and trust: A psychological perspective. Journal of Economic Psychology, 82, 102356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2020.102356
Le, H. V. (2025). AI applications trend in tax fraud detection: A content and bibliometric analyses over the past three decades. In D. K. Sharma, R. Sharma, & S. L. Peng (Eds.), Proceedings of International Conference on Next-Generation Communication and Computing (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, Vol. 1306). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3728-7_4
Mahmoudkhani, M. (2021). Investigating the status of scientific products and the co-occurrence of keywords in the field of tax Based on Web of Science Indexed Papers. Scientometrics Research Journal, 7((Issue 2, Autumn & Winter)), 115-136. https://doi.org/10.22070/rsci.2020.5239.1355
Mansour, A.Z., Ahmi, A., Alkhuzaie, A.S., Alhmood, M.A., Popoola, O.M., & Altarawneh, M. (2023). State of art in tax evasion research: A bibliometric review. Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3422
Mendoza, J. P., Wielhouwer, J. L., & Kirchler, E. (2017). The backfiring effect of auditing on tax compliance. Journal of Economic Psychology, 63, 292-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.07.007
Olendiy , O., Nazarova , K., Nezhyva , M., Mysiuk , V., Mishchenko , V., & Rusyn-Hrynyk, R. (2023). Tax audit to ensure business prosperity: trends and perspectives. Financial and Credit Activity Problems of Theory and Practice, 4(51), 80-90. https://doi.org/10.55643/fcaptp.4.51.2023.4069
OECD. (2014). Addressing the Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project. OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2021). Tax policy reforms 2021: OECD and selected partner economies. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/0e3d9c8e-en
OECD. (2022). Tax administration 2022: Comparative information on OECD and other advanced and emerging economies. OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2023). Building trust in tax systems. OECD Publishing.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., dkk. (2021). The prisma 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Qabajeh, M., Qubbaja, A., Jebreel, M., Zakaria AlQudah, M., & Salim Faiq Alkhatib, F. (2024). Trends and patterns in coso-related auditing research: a bibliometric study. EDPACS, 69(10), 30-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/07366981.2024.2371537
Ratto, M., Thomas, R., & Ulph, D. (2012). The indirect effects of auditing taxpayers. Public Finance Review, 41(3), 317-333. https://doi.org/10.1177/1091142112448414
Slemrod, J. (2019). Tax compliance and enforcement. Journal of Economic Literature, 57(4), 904-954. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20181437
Xu, J., Liu, S. (2023). Current status, evolutionary path, and development trends of low-carbon technology innovation: a bibliometric analysis. Environ Dev Sustain 26, 24151-24182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03640-z