Investigating the Effect of Digital Transformation in Payment Systems on Human Capital Productivity and Tax Compliance Accuracy in Companies Listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange During 2020–2025

Abstract

Digital transformation has increasingly become an influential component of the operational, financial, and managerial structure of business enterprises. The development of electronic payment infrastructures, expansion of non-face-to-face payment instruments, increased capacity for online transaction recording and processing, and emergence of integrated financial information systems have not only transformed transaction processes but have also created new opportunities for improving human capital productivity and the quality of information used in tax compliance processes. Nevertheless, the effects of digital transformation on workforce performance and corporate tax behavior are not necessarily uniform and may depend on the quality of information infrastructure, managerial capabilities, employee skills, internal control structures, and the degree of integration among financial data. Accordingly, this study examines the effect of digital transformation in payment systems on human capital productivity and tax compliance accuracy among companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2020–2025. The study is applied in terms of purpose and adopts a descriptive-analytical and empirical research design. The statistical population consists of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange that meet predefined criteria and provide reliable financial and operational information for the study period. Research data are collected from financial statements, annual reports, and disclosed corporate information and are subsequently used to construct the research variables after applying the sample selection criteria. In this framework, digital transformation in payment systems is considered the primary explanatory variable, while human capital productivity and tax compliance accuracy are examined as outcome variables. A set of financial, operational, and structural firm characteristics is also incorporated as control variables into the empirical models. The principal contribution of this study lies in simultaneously linking three domains—digital transformation, human capital productivity, and tax compliance—at the firm level within the Iranian capital market. These dimensions have frequently been examined separately in previous research. Focusing on the 2020–2025 period also provides an opportunity to investigate corporate behavior during a period characterized by the accelerated adoption of digital tools, electronic payments, and financial information systems in the business environment. The findings are expected to provide empirical evidence regarding the relationship between the digitalization of payment processes, workforce productivity, and the quality of corporate tax compliance, thereby offering useful implications for corporate managers, capital-market policymakers, and tax authorities.