If you’re a tax professional and you’re looking to advance your career path, becoming an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) could be the next step you’re looking for. Earning this credential sets you apart as a tax expert and gives you the privilege to represent taxpayers before the IRS.
An IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) is someone who has passed a three-part comprehensive test that covers individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. EA status is the highest credential the IRS awards — EAs are the only federally licensed tax practitioners who specialize in taxation and have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. That means they’re unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients before.
There are a number of benefits that come with becoming an IRS Enrolled Agent as a tax professional, like being able to offer more services, expanding your earning potential, career flexibility and more career opportunities, and boosting your reputation as a tax professional.
As an EA, you’re directly licensed by the IRS, which enhances your credibility with clients. And it’s a nationally recognized credential, which allows EAs to work throughout the U.S. without needing additional state licenses or certifications.
To become an Enrolled Agent, you need to get a preparer tax identification number, apply to take the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE), pass all three parts of the exam, apply for enrollment, and pass a suitability check. You must also pass a criminal background check.
It costs $267 per part of the exam and, once passed, costs $140 to apply for enrollment.
The test to become an IRS Enrolled Agent, called the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE), consists of three parts: individuals, business, and representation, practices and procedures. Each part has 100 questions and is more than three hours long. The exam is administered by Prometric.
To prepare for the exam, the IRS recommends referring to the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Department Circular 230, IRS publications, and IRS tax forms and their accompanying instructions. Prometric offers information for preparing for the exam, and there are also commercially available study materials or programs, like Bryan University’s Tax Preparer Undergraduate Certificate, which prepares you to take the SEE, the Microsoft Excel Specialist Certification, and the National Association of Bookkeepers Certification related tax exams.
At Bryan University, we’re committed to providing our students with real-world practice and the credentials they need to be job-ready upon graduation. That’s why our Tax Preparer Undergraduate Certificate program prepares students for the Microsoft Excel Specialist Certification, the National Association of Bookkeepers Certification in Tax exams, and the IRS Special Enrollment Examination (SEE).
Our programs are stackable, which means you can enroll in our Tax Preparer Undergraduate Certificate program and our Associate Degree in Accounting at the same time. By taking a stackable program, you’ll earn your certificate first and can get to work sooner while completing your associate degree. The best part? Both programs are completely online!
Visit us online and enroll today!
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