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Otherwise, it would be a redundancy for an established CPA to seek EA status. To become an EA, candidates must pass a three-part test, apply to the IRS, and pass a background check. Get unlimited advice, an expert final review and your maximum refund, guaranteed with Live Assisted Basic.
- The background check will consist of researching the candidate’s personal tax history.
- First, I’ll show you how EAs add value, and then I’ll reveal how CPAs assist their clients.
- They can prepare financial accounts, provide audit services, and advise clients on tax matters.
- Then, with your improved understanding of tax accounting, you can come back to REG, pass the CPA Exam, and, ultimately, get the CPA license as well.
- Therefore, they may have a tax specialization, such as tax preparation or resolution.
- This exam is comprehensive and covers every aspect of the tax code.
Accordingly, CPAs don’t usually have the same amount of passion for keeping up with and performing tax services. So, with the EA license, you’ll be known as the most enrolled agent vs cpa salary committed and qualified tax professional. Then, when CPAs decline opportunities to provide tax assistance, you can swoop in and deliver the help clients need.
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An enrolled agent is a federally licensed tax practitioner who has unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. All EA candidates must pass a background check conducted by the IRS which includes looking into your personal tax history. If your path to the IRS enrolled agent credential runs through the EA exam, you don’t need to meet an experience requirement. And once you’ve passed, you can apply for enrollment by filling out Form 23.
Both certified public accountants (CPAs) and enrolled agents (EAs) must adhere to strict ethical standards. Among the differences between these two careers is that certified public accountants are regulated at the state level. By comparison, enrolled agents are regulated at the federal level. In order to become a certified public accountant, candidates are required to complete a minimum of 150 undergraduate hours. To understand what differs in the role of EAs vs. CPAs, let’s first review how each is licensed.
Fulfill the experience requirement.
The duration of each exam is 4 hours with Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Task-Based Simulations (TBS). Along with MCQs and TBS, the BEC section consists of written communication tasks. Below, you’ll find Zip Recruiter’s average Enrolled Agent salaries. Considering becoming an Enrolled Agent, but curious about the salary prospects?
This could depend on where the individual is on the career ladder. However, the salary of a CPA will quickly exceed the salary pace of an EA. This is because the income potential for enrolled agents tends to taper out over time.
The Average Starting Salary for a CPA
Over the course of becoming an EA, you’ll also want to consider additional enrolled agent exam costs covering retakes, testing appointment reschedules, and continuing education courses. CPAs, or Certified Public Accountants, are licensed individuals with the statutory privilege to sign an audit report. They can prepare financial accounts, provide audit services, and offer tax expertise.
As you’ll see, the basic steps are the same, but the manner in which you fulfill the requirements differs. All you have to do is pass a three-part exam administered by the IRS then apply for https://personal-accounting.org/returns-inwards-or-sales-returns-definition/ licensure. You could be exempt from taking the exam if you have qualifying employment with the IRS. Both the CPA and the EA are credentials that must uphold stringent ethics standards.
Now, you can take the SEE at any Prometric testing center, any day that they’re open for business. There are also only three parts – individuals, businesses, and representation/procedures. For these two reasons alone, I believe that every unenrolled preparer should either become an Enrolled Agent or accept the fact that your career will ONLY involve return preparation. I’m starting with this, instead of “why you should be licensed”, because I feel like it’s the most salient point for anybody reading this blog.
Other tasks include preparing tax returns, performing tax accounting reconciliations, teaming up with the different departments regarding any tax issues, etc. During tax season, these agents review and prepare tax returns for both individuals and businesses. In total, it can take around nine years or more to get a CPA credential because of all the requirements. These include 150 hours of college credit before becoming eligible to sit for the CPA exam. Some states also require a number of professional hours worked under the direct supervision of a licensed CPA prior to the exam.
Abilities of Tax Professionals
You need to know the answer when you’re contemplating whether to earn the enrolled agent (EA) designation or the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification. Tax Preparers looking to further their careers have several options open to them, and these are two of the most popular. Which one you choose will depend on your areas of interest and expertise. Additionally, you will need to decide how much time, money, and energy you must put into meeting the requirements.
