Laura A. Wellman

Color portrait of Laura A. Wellman

Associate Professor of Accounting

Department Accounting

Email Address law613@psu.edu

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Education

Ph D, Accounting, Arizona State University, 2014

MS, Taxation, Arizona State University, 2007

BS, Accounting, Arizona State University, 2006

Courses Taught

ACCTG 405 – Prin of Tax I (3)
Elements of tax policy and tax-planning concepts for personal and business decision making; with emphasis on taxation of individuals. ACCTG 405 Principles of Taxation (3) Introduction to Taxation, is the first course that undergraduate accounting majors take that is devoted entirely to taxation. Although the course is intended for accounting majors, the content is relevant to finance majors seeking elective courses. The objective of the course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the concepts, terminology, and decision-making skills specific to the discipline of taxation that are germane to the professional development of those preparing for a career in accounting. Although the course surveys the many forms of taxation that are found in industrialized societies, and the comparisons thereof, the main focus is on the federal income taxation of individuals. However, coverage is provided regarding the manner in which the taxation of individuals relates to corporate and partnership entities. ACCTG 405 is related to other accounting courses through its coverage of income concepts, and micro-economic principles. The former compares differences in the measurement of financial accounting income with the manner in which income is determined according to the tax laws. The latter emphasizes business decision-making principles that are important in the managerial portion of the accounting program. The course covers topics that illustrate fundamental tax strategies and how such enable taxpayers to achieve business and personal economic objectives. The assessment process in ACCTG 405 incorporates examinations, homework assignments, and individual and group projects. The exams are combinations of objective questions and open-ended problems. Exams are often given in the evening. Course learning aids include a text book, on-line tax research services, spreadsheet software, and a packet of handouts prepared by instructors to keep the classes updated on the many changes in the tax laws that occur each year.

Selected Publications

Wellman L. A., Christensen D. M., Jin H., Sridharan S. A., "Hedging on the Hill: Political Hedging and Firm Risk." Management Science, vol. 68, no. 6, 2021, pp. 4356-4379
Wellman L. A., Pawliczek A., Skinner N., "A New Take on Voice: The Influence of BlackRock’s “Dear CEO” Letters." Review of Accounting Studies, vol. 26, no. 3, 2021, pp. 1088-1136
Wellman L. A., Walther B. R., Stephan A. P., "Profiting from connections: Do politicians receive stock tips from brokerage houses?." Journal of Accounting and Economics, vol. 72, no. 1, 2021, pp. 21 pages
Wellman L. A., Brown J., Lin K., Moore J., "The Impact of Tax Policy Uncertainty on Forecasting." Journal of the American Taxation Association, 2021, pp. 61 pages, meridian.allenpress.com/jata/article-abstract/doi/10.2308/JATA-19-014/470061/The-impact-of-tax-policy-uncertainty-on?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Wellman L. A., Christensen D. M., Walther B. R., Moris A. K., "Political Information Flow and Management Guidance." Review of Accounting Studies, 2021, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11142-022-09671-7
The paper is under review at Review of Accounting Studies
Wellman L. A., Nagar V., Schoenfeld J., "The Effect of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Investor Information Asymmetry and Management Disclosures." Journal of Accounting and Economics, vol. 67, no. 1, 2019, pp. 36-57, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165410118300958
Wellman L. A., Walther B. R., Mikhail M. M., Christensen D., "From K Street to Wall Street: Politically Connected Analysts and Stock Recommendations." Accounting Review, vol. 92, no. 3, 2017, pp. 87-112, meridian.allenpress.com/accounting-review/article-abstract/92/3/87/99329/From-K-Street-to-Wall-Street-Political-Connections?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Wellman L. A., "Mitigating Political Uncertainty." Review of Accounting Studies, vol. 22, no. 1, 2017, pp. 217-250, link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11142-016-9380-0.pdf
Wellman L. A., Brown J., Drake K., "The Benefits of a Relational Approach to Corporate Political Activity: Evidence from Political Contributions to Tax Policymakers." Journal of the American Taxation Association, vol. 37, no. 1, 2015, pp. 69-102, meridian.allenpress.com/jata/article-abstract/37/1/69/60637/The-Benefits-of-a-Relational-Approach-to-Corporate?redirectedFrom=fulltext
*Recipient of the Journal of the American Taxation Association Outstanding Paper Award
*Select Popular Press: Washington Post, NPR National, Politico, The Hill