Ben Ma
Ben Ma
I am currently a 4th year PhD Candidate in Accounting at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
I am a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, and earned my CFA Charter and CFP Certificate during my time in public accounting.
Bio
I am currently a 4th year PhD Candidate in Accounting at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. My research interests are in taxation, particularly regarding small businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and tax reform.
During my time as a Senior Tax Manager in public practice, I specialized in mergers and acquisitions, corporate tax planning, and high-net-worth clients.
I co-lead the UW AFSA Tax Clinic, a volunteer organization that files over 1,000 tax returns annually for students and low-income residents of the KW region.
My personal interests are in crafts, desserts, and various martial arts. I may have dabbled in Chef School in a previous life.
Education
| Doctor of Philosophy, Accounting | University of Toronto | Job market cycle 2027–2028 |
| Master of Accounting | University of Waterloo | 2017 |
| Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management | University of Waterloo | 2016 |
| CPA In-Depth Tax Program | CPA Canada | 2022 |
Conference Attendance
| American Taxation Association (ATA) Midyear Meeting | 2026 |
| Canadian Academic Accounting Association Conference (CAAA) | 2025*†, 2026*† |
| COBRA Summer School on Empirical Tax Research | 2026 |
| Conference on Financial Economics and Accounting (CFEA) | 2026† |
| Contemporary Accounting Research Conference (CAR) | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| European Conference on Current Research in Taxation | 2026* |
| Financial Accounting and Reporting Section (FARS) Midyear Meeting | 2026 |
| Rotman Accounting Research Conference | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Texas Tax Theory Seminar | 2026 |
| Texas-Waterloo Taxation Research Symposium | 2026 |
| Waterloo Ethics Symposium | 2026 |
* Presenter † Discussant
Professional Experience
| Senior Tax Manager, Domestic Tax | MNP LLP | 2021–2023 |
| Senior Tax Staff, Private Client Services | Ernst & Young LLP | 2020–2021 |
| Tax Analyst | CIBC | 2017–2019 |
Professional Designations and Achievements
| Post Designation Public Accounting Program | 2025 |
| Certified Financial Planner™ | 2023 |
| Chartered Financial Analyst™ | 2020 |
| Chartered Professional Accountant, Ontario | 2019 |
| Common Final Exam Honour Roll Recipient | 2017 |
Professional Service
| Ad Hoc Reviewer | Contemporary Accounting Research |
Volunteer Service
| Organizer, Web Master, Lecturer, Lead | UW AFSA Tax Clinic | 2013–Present |
| President | Rotman PhD Association | 2026–2027 |