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Detecting Cosmetic Debt Management Using Benford's Law

Author

Listed:
  • Dominique Geyer

    (Audencia Recherche - Audencia Business School)

  • Christoph Drechsler

    (University College of Dublin - UCD - University College Dublin [Dublin])

Abstract

Benford's law states that the frequency of first significant digit in certain samples decreases as those digits increase. This law is used in accounting to find rounding behavior. Several studies provided evidence that firms may round up earnings when they are just below reference points denoted by Nx10k. Most studies are focused on earnings variables. Few studies are focused on other accounting variables like sales for example (Jordan & Alii, 2009; Geyer, 2012). No previous study examines accounting variable from balance sheet (excepted earnings of course). The aim of this short paper is to investigate rounding behavior of long term debt. Using a sample of US public companies, we observe that US firms round down the total long term debt considering two cognitive points: Nx10k and (2xN+1)x5x10j (N is an integer between 1 to 9; k is an integer from 1 and j is an integer from 0). In other words, US public firms exercise Cosmetic Debt Management.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique Geyer & Christoph Drechsler, 2014. "Detecting Cosmetic Debt Management Using Benford's Law," Post-Print hal-01059758, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01059758
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://audencia.hal.science/hal-01059758
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    File URL: https://audencia.hal.science/hal-01059758/document
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chin Hsien Hsieh & Fengyi Lin, 2013. "Applying digital analysis to detect fraud: an empirical analysis of US marine industry," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 135-140, January.
    2. Jyrki Niskanen & Matti Keloharju, 2000. "Earnings cosmetics in a tax-driven accounting environment: evidence from Finnish public firms," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 443-452.
    3. George Judge & Laura Schechter, 2009. "Detecting Problems in Survey Data Using Benford’s Law," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(1).
    4. Tom Van Caneghem, 2004. "The impact of audit quality on earnings rounding-up behaviour: some UK evidence," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 771-786.
    5. Das, Somnath & Zhang, Huai, 2003. "Rounding-up in reported EPS, behavioral thresholds, and earnings management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 31-50, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Al-Rawashdeh, Firas, 2017. "Applying Benford's law into Jordanian insurance companies to identify earning's manipulations," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 13(2).
    2. Ahmad Ahed Bader & Mousa Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, 2017. "Evidence on the Extent of Cosmetic Earnings and Revenues Management by Jordanian Companies," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(3), pages 20-30.

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