This research examines the effects of family firm succession on performance, and further considers the moderating effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Since the succession of a family firm may cause the disappearance of specific assets of the founder (or family members), thereby reducing firm’s performance. However, because CSR helps the firms to accumulate reputational capital, the reputation effect and insurance effects of superior CSR performance help firm to mitigate the negative effects of family firm succession on the performance. Based on the data of 831 listed non-financial firms on the Taiwan Stock Exchange from 2007~2018, the main empirical result shows that regardless of the succession is on the board chairperson or the CEO, family firm succession tends to reduce performance. Yet, firms with better CSR performance enjoys less decrease in performance. Furthermore, the successors with professionals on financial, law or accounting also have the effect of mitigating the adverse effects on performance of family firm succession.