Ken Klassen

Director, Waterloo Centre for Taxation in a Global Economy

Office: Hagey Hall 3119

Phone: 519-888-4567 x48550

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