Guide to Enrolled Agents & Finding One Near You

Some former IRS employees with five years of taxation experience may apply to become an enrolled agent without taking the exam. Non-exempt persons must take and pass the Special Enrollment Examination . All enrolled agents must complete 72 hours of continuing education every 36 months. You can become an enrolled agent by passing the IRS Special Enrollment Examination. After passing the exam you must apply for enrollment.

With the help of an enrolled agent, you can navigate the process and receive support efficiently. Ageras’ large-scale, comprehensive network lets us find help for businesses of every size, every industry, and every corner of the country.

Certification by the IRS

In the 1880s, there were inadequate attorney standards, and Ccertified public accountants were not in existence. The Enrolled Agent profession began after fraudulent claims were submitted for Civil War losses. Congress took action to regulate EAs to prepare Civil War claims and represent citizens in their interactions with the Treasury Department. In 1884, the Horse Act was signed into law by President Chester Arthur to establish and standardize enrolled agents. An Enrolled Agent is a tax specialist who has been federally authorized to represent taxpayers before all levels of the IRS. Unlike CPAs, enrolled agents are eligible to practice in all states without additional licensing requirements.

The EA credential can verify your credibility, open doors to new careers, and attract work opportunities. Tax preparers, accountants, and those wanting to move into tax preparation can gain confidence with an EA license. A certified public accountant is a designation given to those who meet education and experience requirements and pass an exam. Enrolled agents are the only tax professionals who do not require a state license. However, they have a federal license and can represent a taxpayer in any state. Although enrolled agents may represent individuals and businesses before the IRS, they are not IRS employees. All courses in this program are paid for individually, unless otherwise noted.

This is how we find the right Enrolled Agent for you:

The test fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable. You can pass the three-part https://simple-accounting.org/ Exam, also called the Special Enrollment Exam , one part at a time — and you have two years from passing the first exam to pass all three! This makes studying for and passing the exam much more manageable. During tax season, services are offered by both EAs and CPAs, making selection increasingly difficult.

Enrolled Agents’ expertise in the continually changing field of taxation enables them to effectively represent taxpayers at all administrative levels within the IRS. Students who successfully complete this CCL may also seek employment as tax preparers. CPAs typically do most of their work for public accounting firms of all sizes. They could be specifically licensed as auditors, financial planners, corporate and executive accountants and tax consultants. So CPAs could assist in all accounting, tax and financial services for the businesses, individuals and other organizations they may represent.

How much does an Enrolled Agent Cost?

Availability of Refund Transfer funds varies by state. Funds will be applied to your selected method of disbursement once they are received from the state taxing authority. Emerald Card Retail Reload Providers may charge a convenience fee. Any Retail Reload Fee is an independent fee assessed by the individual retailer only and is not assessed by H&R Block or MetaBank®. For a full schedule of Emerald Card fees, see your Cardholder Agreement. Available at participating offices and if your employer participate in the W-2 Early Access℠ program.

• ” Enrolled agents are tax practitioners licensed at the federal level by the Internal Revenue Service .
• — An enrolled agent can help optimize your business deductions and guide you through tax planning.
• On the other hand, if you are interested in accounting practices that have nothing to do with taxes, such as auditing, then the CPA option may be best.
• Growing need for representation – Given the state of our economy, many people now find themselves in a difficult position financially.
• We break down the important topics that you need to know with 5-20 minute lessons which use real-world examples to explain difficult EA exam topics.
• They cannot use the term certified as part of a title or infer an employee relationship with the IRS.
• There is a shortage of Enrolled Agents who can handle more complicated tax returns and represent clients before the IRS.

Prospective enrolled agents must either pass the Special Enrollment Examination or meet minimum IRS experience requirements. Enrolled Agent status does not authorize the enrollee to practice before the United States Tax Court or in any other court. Tax Court is limited to members of the Bar of the Court.

Enrolled Agent (EA)

CPAs can focus on taxes, but they can also do public accounting, corporate accounting, and accounting for government and not-for-profit organizations. CPAs also audit businesses and provide assurance that their financial statements are free from material misstatement. Once EAs have passed their qualifying exam, the federal government recognizes them as tax specialists. Typical EA responsibilities include representing business or individual clients in tax audits, tax appeals and tax collections. Additionally, EAs can also provide tax advice, tax return filing and more. Fees apply if you have us file a corrected or amended return.

No weighting system applies to the final score. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where listings appear.

Enrolled Agents: How They Can Help & How to Find an EA Near You

Timing is based on an e-filed return with direct deposit to your Card Account. Vanilla Reload is provided by ITC Financial Licenses, Inc.

• The NAEA also provides continuing education opportunities and career development resources.
• Rewards are in the form of a cash credit loaded onto the card and are subject to applicable withdrawal/cash back limits.
• You can pass the three-part Enrolled Agent Exam, also called the Special Enrollment Exam , one part at a time — and you have two years from passing the first exam to pass all three!
• An enrolled agent is a federally licensed tax practitioner who has unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS for any issues relating to collections, audits, or tax appeals.
• It is difficult to answer how much an enrolled agent will cost.
• This designation is comparable to an accountant or an attorney that specializes in IRS matters relating to tax laws.
• An enrolled agent can offer sound advice about many of the solutions to tax issues provided by the IRS.

The actual seat time is 4 hours to allow for a tutorial and survey. You must schedule and take one part at a time. Once you have taken and passed one exam, you have two years to pass the other two parts. Add enrolled agent to one of your lists below, or create a new one. You will be able to pay for your classes online by ACH check or by MasterCard, Visa or Discover credit card. If you pay by credit card there will be a fee of 2.75% for domestic cards and 4.25% for international cards added to the tuition.

Search top-tier programs curated by your interests.

CPAs, however, are more adept in meeting your financial planning and accounting needs; and when it comes to tax planning, they can also help you identify tax credits and deductions to lower your tax liability. To become a CPA a person must take 150 hours of public accounting courses, typically done at a college or university. It is common for those aiming to become CPAs to take a review course before sitting for the four-part exam, and these courses run anywhere from approximately $1,200 to $3,500. Application fees for the exam vary by state but range from about $50 to $200. Each of the exam’s four sections cost about $200, depending on the state. There is also a continuing education component, but the exact number of credit hours vary by state. Anyone applying to be an enrolled agent must pass a background check, which includes a review of the applicant’s tax transcript—essentially, a record of past tax obligations or payments.