Return Preparer Office federal tax return preparer statistics Internal Revenue Service

63,203 enrolled agentsBased on the Freedom of Information Act, the IRS provides the names and contact information of all active enrolled Travel Agency Accounting agents on its website. Because of the expertise necessary to become an enrolled agent and the requirements to maintain the license, there are only about 53,700 practicing enrolled agents. An enrolled agent candidate can expect to study anywhere from hours per examination section. This means you will most likely study for over 200 hours when all is said and done. From there, that amount is converted on a scale that ranges from 40 to 130.

Tax attorneys are experts in tax law.

If you’re incorporating or dissolving a business, evaluating a business deal, getting sued, or looking for help with anything else that goes beyond the boundaries of pure tax advice or accounting, talk to an attorney. Further, the broker needs to be actively involved in the agent’s fulfillment of the duties the broker owes to clients the agent has contact with. Thus, the agent knows from the beginning just what level of production their broker expects of them to remain with the office. The real depth of agent inactivity is obscured by active licensee figures.

Taking the Enrolled Agent Exam

• Instead, people can qualify solely based on their taxation knowledge or IRS work experience.
• They can therefore help with all the most complex tax issues and find a range of solutions and resolutions to different tax problems.
• Enrolled Agent status is the highest credential awarded by the IRS.1 According to the National Association of Enrolled Agents, there are approximately 87,000 practicing EAs in the United States.
• Yes, there is a shortage of enrolled agents that can handle complicated tax returns and have the ability to represent clients before the IRS.
• The same as CPAs and attorneys, enrolled agents have unlimited practice rights and what types of tax matters they can handle, such as tax representation, tax planning, and more.

Your first and last name must exactly match the first and last name you used to schedule the examination. Failure to provide appropriate identification at the time of the examination is considered a missed appointment. As a result, you will not be allowed to test and forfeit your examination fee.

• The Northeast Oklahoma 2025 event is scheduled for October 30 and 31, 2025.
• Registering is required before you can schedule your exam appointment.
• Enrolled Agents are registered with the Department of Treasury to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in all matters, as well as perform other duties that their local IRS director may assign.
• Live seminars offer an interactive, engaging, and educational experience.
• EAs are licensed tax professionals that can represent taxpayers before the IRS.
• If you’re not sure whether a certain tax advisor or preparer is legitimate, the IRS recommends looking them up with the Better Business Bureau.

Education

The core requirements include passing scores on all three sections of the Special Enrollment Examination or five years of IRS employment drawing on your detailed knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code. You may take each section up to four times per testing window, which opens annually on May 1 and closes on the last day of the following February. However, you must wait at least 24 hours before scheduling a retake of any exam section you did not pass. If you pass an exam https://gccoupons.withctw.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-outstanding-checks-and/ section, you will not receive a numerical score for that part. Instead, Prometric will evaluate your level of proficiency with the taxation concepts tested in that section.

Large how many enrolled agents are there brokerages typically use mail-blitzing campaigns and seminars to entice both seasoned agents and newly-licensed and prospective agents into their branch offices. Franchised offices rely on brand name recognition to attract new agents. In March 2025, California had 87,062 active real estate brokers, about 2,000 fewer than one year earlier. Today, the number of active brokers continues to decrease, in search of a bottom since declining from the January 2010 peak of 109,500. If you fail, the computer will show your score (from ), as well as a diagnostic indicator for each concept area of the exam. This is meant to help you understand where you should focus your study and better prepare for success when retaking the exam.

• Approximately half of all real estate agents in the USA are certified as Realtors.
• In fact, it’s interesting to learn that the typical Realtor is a 54 year old white female who owns their own home and went to college.
• However, you do not know which questions are scored and which are experimental and should answer all 100 questions to the best of your ability.
• Once you pass, you’ll enjoy benefits like certified tax expertise, a federal designation, increased income, and more job opportunities.
• In March 2025, California had 87,062 active real estate brokers, about 2,000 fewer than one year earlier.

Which EA Review Course Is Right for You?

The Enrolled Agent exam, also called the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE), is designed to assess an individual’s understanding of fundamental taxation concepts. Generally, enrolled agent salaries range from $50,000 to $100,000 annually, with a median salary of $70,000. Your renewal date depends on the final digit of your Social Security number. International candidates are welcome to take the exam, but available testing locations are limited and may vary. You may electronically apply for enrollment and make secure payment of the $140 enrollment fee at Pay.gov.

If you fail a section, please allow 24 hours before scheduling a retake. SEE Part 1 tests on individuals, Part 2 tests on businesses, and Part 3 covers representation, practices, and procedures. When you browse through the enrolled agent subjects in the EA tests, you’ll see that the exam covers a lot of topics. So after you pass all of the EA exam parts, you’ll be able to demonstrate your level of expertise in tax issues. There are several references, including IRS publications, IRS codes, tax forms, Treasury Department Circular 230, and more.