Ken Klassen

Director, Waterloo Centre for Taxation in a Global Economy

Office: Hagey Hall 3119

Phone: 519-888-4567 x48550

Email: kklassen@uwaterloo.ca

Education and certifications

• BA (University of Waterloo)
• MAcc (University of Waterloo)
• MS - Statistics (Stanford University)
• PhD - Accounting (Stanford University)
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)
• Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCPA)

Brief biography

My research develops a fuller understanding of the extent to which taxes affect corporate decision making. Through analysis of corporate data, I examine settings in which decisions may have been predictably altered in response to tax environments. Currently, I am particularly interested in the factors that influence the role of taxes in international operations.

Selected publications

• Kenneth Klassen, and Cinthia Valle Ruiz, 2023. “The effect of changes in income shifting on affiliate managers’ internal reporting decisions,” Contemporary Accounting Research. 40(1): 120-165. doi: 10.1111/1911-3846.12783

• Lisa De Simone, Kenneth Klassen, and Jeri Seidman, 2022. “The effect of income shifting aggressiveness on corporate investment,” Journal of Accounting and Economics. 74(1). doi: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2022.101491

• Delis Fotis, Manthos Delis, Panagiotis Karavitis, and Kenneth Klassen, 2021. “Corporate governance and profit shifting: The role of the audit committee,” European Accounting Review, doi: 10.1080/09638180.2021.2003216
• Travis Chow, Sterling Huang, Kenneth Klassen, and Jeffrey Ng, 2021. "The influence of corporate income taxes on investment location: Evidence from corporate headquarters relocations," Management Science, 68 (2): 1404–1425. doi:10.1287/mnsc.2020.3906
• Kenneth Klassen and Nick Pantaleo, 2020. "Assessing the Canada Revenue Agency: Evidence on tax auditors' incentives and assessments." C.D. Howe Institute E-Brief. September 3.
• Vishal Baloria, Kenneth Klassen, and Christine Wiedman, 2019. "Shareholder activism and voluntary disclosure initiation: The case of political spending," Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(2): 904-933
• Vishal Baloria and Kenneth Klassen, 2018. "Supporting tax policy change through accounting discretion: Evidence from the 2012 elections," Management Science, 64(10): 4893-4914
• Devan Mescall and Kenneth Klassen, 2018. "How does transfer-pricing risk affect premiums in cross-border mergers and acquisitions?" Contemporary Accounting Research, 35(2): 830-865
• Lisa De Simone, Kenneth Klassen, and Jeri Seidman, 2017. "Unprofitable affiliates and income shifting behavior," The Accounting Review, 92(3): 113-136
• Kenneth Klassen, Petro Lisowsky, and Devan Mescall, 2017. “Transfer pricing: Strategies, practices and tax minimization,” Contemporary Accounting Research, 34(1): 455-493
• Travis Chow, Kenneth Klassen, and Yanju Liu, 2016. “Targets’ tax shelter participation and takeover premiums,” Contemporary Accounting Research, 33(4): 1440-1472
• Kenneth Klassen, Petro Lisowsky, and Devan Mescall, 2016. "The role of auditors, non-auditors, and internal tax departments in corporate tax aggressiveness." The Accounting Review, v91(1): 179-205.
• Kenneth Klassen, 2016. "Auditing the Auditors: Tax Auditors' Assessments and Incentives." C.D. Howe Institute E-Brief. April 5.
• Kenneth Klassen, Stacie Laplante, and Carla Carnaghan, 2014. "A model of multinational income shifting and an application to tax planning with e-commerce." Journal of the American Taxation Association, v 36(2): 27-53.
• Leslie Berger, Kenneth Klassen, Theresa Libby, and Alan Webb, 2013. "Complacency and giving up across repeated tournaments: Evidence from the field." Journal of Management Accounting Research, v 25: 143-168.
• Kenneth Klassen and Stacie Laplante, 2012. "Are U.S. multinational corporations becoming more aggressive income shifters?" Journal of Accounting Research, v 50(5): 1245-1285.
• Kenneth Klassen and Stacie Laplante, 2012. "The effect of foreign reinvestment and financial reporting incentives on cross-jurisdictional income shifting," Contemporary Accounting Research, v. 29(3): 928-955.
• Kenneth Klassen and Devan Mescall, 2012. “Investor taxes and equity pricing: Using income trusts in a cross-sectional analysis,” Canadian Tax Journal, v. 60(3): 1-34.

Working papers

• Beyond those available through Social Science Research Network (SSRN), other current working papers are available upon request
• Copies of working papers can be obtained from SSRN.

Editor/Associate Editor etc.

• Consulting Editor, Contemporary Accounting Research, 2020-2023
• Editor, Contemporary Accounting Research, 2017-2020
• Senior Editor, Journal of the American Taxation Association, 2014-2017 
• Associate Editor, Contemporary Accounting Research, 2002 - 2010
• Associate Editor, The Accounting Review 2001 -2002

Editorial boards

• Journal of International Business Studies, 2020 - 2025
• Canadian Tax Journal, 2020 - 2023
• Contemporary Accounting Research, 2010 - 2017
• The Accounting Review, 2011 - 2014, 1999 - 2001
• Accounting Horizons, 2012-2015, 2003 - 2006
• The International Journal of Accounting, 2011 - 2014

Recent Awards

• Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Thought, 2021.

• Best Manuscript Award, 2020. American Taxation Association, for "Unprofitable affiliates and income shifting behavior."

• L.S. Rosen Outstanding Educator Award, 2017

• Best Manuscript Award, 2015. American Taxation Association, for "Are U.S. multinational corporations becoming more aggressive income shifters?"

Professional service

• Chair, Research and Publications Committee, American Accounting Association, 2021-2024
• American Taxation Association: various
• Member, CPA Canada Tax Policy Committee (formerly the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Tax Policy Committee), from 2011
• Member, Governing Council, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, 2000-2002

Courses taught

• Accounting (ACC) 760 - Seminar in Tax Research
• Taxation (TAX) 614 - Accounting for Income Taxes
• Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) 206 - Introduction to Personal Taxation