Becoming an enrolled agent takes much less time than becoming a CPA. Unlike the CPA exam, which requires you to have completed certain educational prerequisites, there are no educational requirements to sit for the Special Enrollment Exam . Unlike attorneys and CPAs, enrolled agents are not licensed by states. That is https://personal-accounting.org/ the source of the problem that legislation introduced by Congressman Rob Portmanis meant to address. The average salary of an enrolled agent will range from $42K to $60K per year. The lower end is for those with five years of experience or less. The more experience you gain, the more you can earn as an enrolled agent.

• While many work in a corporate or government environment, others are in the field.
• And the goal, of course, is for stage one to be the final statge.
• You only have to take and pass the three-part exam one time, as long as you maintain your CE requirements.

That is, you may need to elicit hard financial facts using indirect methods. Many of your clients will not be aware of your professional jargon so you will need to translate your needs so that they understand. Enrolled agents are specialized tax practitioners who are certified to represent taxpayers in dealings with is enrolled agent worth it the IRS. EAs prepare taxes, can stand in for you during an audit, and handle other business you may have with the IRS. To become an EA you have to show you know quite a bit about federal taxes. To become a CPA you have to prove you know a bit about federal taxes but also quite a bit about a lot of other stuff.

How Can You Prepare for the Enrolled Agent Exam?

However, if you’re not an attorney or a CPA, you will need to be an enrolled agent. Without this designation, you cannot represent taxpayers in front of the IRS. Enrolled agents gain job security with a recession-proof career.

• Such an organization might be free from state income taxes, property taxes, or other state-levied fees.
• Because Enrolled Agents specialize in taxes, you know exactly which services you are getting for your money.
• A mid-level enrolled agent with between five and 10 years of experience can generally expect to earn an average salary of $50,000.
• This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
• These professionals can speak on clients' behalf, argue disputes, and make cases to the federal taxation authorities.

The EA Exam, officially known as the Special Enrollment Examination , is a three-part exam administered by Prometric on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service. Each part is taken as a separate 100 question EA exam and you will have 3.5 hours to answer all questions for that part.

Benefits of becoming an enrolled agent

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. By comparison, a CPA can have a number of opportunities for earning money. For instance, CPAs working for conglomerates or in a CPA firm could easily bring in six-figure salaries. To become an enrolled agent, it is necessary to pass a three-part examination. This exam is comprehensive and covers every aspect of the tax code.