The US Treasury Department licenses EAs. The exam they take to get the credential is completely tax-related and written by the IRS. Before electing to get the EA credential, an EA would often have one or more years of experience preparing tax returns. Many EAs offer both return preparation and representation services. Enrolled agents are generally unconstrained in terms of who they can represent, what types of tax concerns they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients in front of. Taxpayers can also e-mail the IRS to confirm the status of an EA.
The tax laws are very complex. Our short blog articles cannot cover in full all the nuances of the rules. Your specific facts may hold various opportunities and possible risks that only trained, experienced, and highly qualified tax specialists can spot. We encourage you to find such help, rather than trying to figure it all out on your own. Consider giving this marketplace a try by posting your project and signing up here.
If you are a licensed tax professional and are interested in helping others either part or full-time, or ad hoc, come on in! Happy to have you. Our marketplace has the full suite of tools to communicate with clients including compliance calendars, task and message management, and billing. You can also quickly connect to knowledgeable colleagues who can complement your services with the ones you do not provide. Register here.