CPAs are accountants who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree from a university that has an accredited accounting curriculum, and who have taken a written examination that testifies to their knowledge of generally accepted accounting and auditing principles and standards. (In Florida, 23 colleges and universities offer accredited accounting programs and related degrees.

CPAs do many things for businesses and individuals. Essentially, they analyze and plan how money is used by businesses, nonprofit organizations, governments and individuals.

CPAs work in public accounting, business and industry, government and education. Within these areas, CPAs generally specialize in what they do.

The post What Is A CPA? appeared first on Walter Sanders PA.

An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a federally-authorized tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation and who is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service for audits, collections, and appeals.

What does the term “Enrolled Agent” mean?

“Enrolled” means to be licensed to practice by the federal government, and “Agent” means authorized to appear in the place of the taxpayer at the IRS. Only Enrolled Agents, attorneys, and CPAs may represent taxpayers before the IRS. The Enrolled Agent profession dates back to 1884 when, after questionable claims had been presented for Civil War losses, Congress acted to regulate persons who represented citizens in their dealings with the U.S. Treasury Department.

How does one become an Enrolled Agent?

The license is earned in one of two ways, by passing a comprehensive examination which covers all aspects of the tax code, or having worked at the IRS for five years in a position which regularly interpreted and applied the tax code and its regulations. All candidates are subjected to a rigorous background check conducted by the IRS.

How can Enrolled Agent help me?

Enrolled Agents advise, represent, and prepare tax returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and any entities with tax-reporting requirements. Enrolled Agents’ expertise in the continually changing field of taxation enables them to effectively represent taxpayers audited by the IRS.

The post What Is An Enrolled Agent? appeared first on Walter Sanders PA.