The first step to becoming a paid tax professional is to get a preparer tax identification number (PTIN). It doesn't matter if you want...

A few weekends ago I spent time in Kansas City, at a conference for school counselors. During my time there I was able to educate them on...

Do you ever wonder what you should post on social media as an Enrolled Agent ? Should it all be professional? Maybe you should talk about more than taxes. What kind of taxes? All these questions go through your head and then you end up not posting at all. Every week I talk with fellow Enrolled Agents facing this same scenario. They feel frustrated because they aren't receiving the same vanity metrics such as likes and comments that they see other tax professionals receiving.

Even if you have the transcripts without getting on the phone I recommend doing a compliance check. The revenue agent can see notes on the a

When I am working with a new client I take them through the 3 phases of tax representation . I share what those 3 phases are with my clients so they know what to expect. I teach tax professionals who I mentor to do the same. Those 3 phases are: 1 - Transcript Investigation 2 - Compliance 3 - Negotiation with the IRS After doing this for over half a decade it seems simple to me. I've come to realize that a lot of tax professionals don't follow this process. They attempt to go

When I first had aspirations to become an Enrolled Agent I did not know anyone else who was an Enrolled Agent. I did not know what...

This article will help you determine what you need to ask on your tax representation consultations. Gain the confidence you need.

As a tax professional, it is difficult to focus on anything other than taxes during tax season. This makes the first 3.5 months of the year quite a juggle if you're an Enrolled Agent doing representation and preparation work. Once you present yourself as a tax expert, tax preparation clients are not difficult to find. Tax preparation is a service that is in high demand because everyone needs to file taxes. It does not require much effort when it comes to marketing. During tax

An occupational phenomenon that results from chronic workplace stress. That's what the World Health Organization, also known as WHO, labeled burnout in 2019. If you have survived a tax busy season you know that can be a very stressful time. So does that mean that you have to be a victim of burnout just because you work in the tax industry? The answer is no, but ultimately the choice is yours. The majority, but not all, tax professionals that I know who have become Enrolled Ag

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of tax lien marketing. I know that's controversial in the world of tax representation but it's true. I don't believe in playing on people's fears to cause them to make an impulse purchase. I prefer to present myself as the expert and win their trust. A lot of tax professionals ignore the tax lien list. Others use it to threaten prospects that they will go to jail or have their bank account cleared out if they don't call them immedia

How do you get more views on your YouTube videos? How do you get more subscribers to your YouTube channel? How do you monetize your YouTube channel? These are all questions that I wanted the answers to. Especially for someone like me, a tax professional. Someone who doesn't talk about trendy tax topics but things that are more fundamental and educational. (If that type of information is your vibe, you can subscribe here: @AmericasFavEA.  It took a while but I finally figured

I have great news for you if you or your client owe the IRS. The IRS does not have forever to collect on that debt from your client! This means with your help they don't have to take that debt to the grave if they can't pay it. But here is the catch, you need to know how the tax law works to ensure that does not happen. On the flip side, if the IRS owes your client, the client does not have forever to claim that refund. There are rules for how long the IRS has to assess tax o

" New year, new me." "I'm going to crush my goals this year!" Have you found yourself saying those things? At the start of a new year and new season, it's easy to get caught up in the trends and cycles of doing something new. Bringing in change and improvement. As I reflected over the past year I noticed something about the goals that I crushed  and the ones where I fell short. The difference was my intentionality and focus. Was I intentional in forming habits to ensure I rea

As I reflect on this past year I notice a trend. I found the most success when I wasn't focused on revenue. But instead when I focused on impact. The impact is the effect on your sphere of influence from your presence. If I may be transparent, I did not reach all my revenue goals for this year. But all hope is not lost. Because the impact that I can measure is rippling into an impact that I cannot even imagine. That's why it is important to set clear goals on the impact that

Tax Representation leads are just different. They don't proudly brag about their problems, making them difficult to find if you don't know where to look. Yes, we can use tax liens to find out who in our area owes over a certain amount. But then what? Are you going to use scare tactics to scare them into working with you? If that's your cup of tea and the way you like to move, best wishes to you! That's not the way I like to approach it. I don't want anyone to feel pressured

Once I pass the Special Enrollment Exam and receive my EA license I will have clients coming from everywhere. That's the fairytale that most new Enrolled Agents I meet believe. They don't understand that is not how it works at all. After the receive their license and the fairytales don't start rolling in they go into panic. Maybe I shouldn't have done this. I don't know how to get clients. How can I get clients? Well, I will tell you this. They do not fall out of the sky. Mar

This post explains the dangers of not properly using the CSED and the trouble it can cause for your client. It also explains how to avoid it

"Are there any updates? "This isn't what you promised." "I gave you my paperwork yesterday, when will it be ready?" Timalyn in an office with a client. I wish it weren't true but I have actually received all the above statements from clients. Why? Because I did a poor job of managing my client's expectations. I did communicate the process clearly nor hold them accountable to my expectations. I also made exceptions for when they crossed lines and boundaries. For example, if so

When you start a business or launch a new service offering you are eager to help everyone that you possibly can. We take on work that we can't manage alone because it is not easily identifiable. If you are reading this you are probably fairly new to doing tax representation work. Tax representation is a unique service offering. The workflow and communication process is much different than tax preparation. Understanding the journey that a taxpayer goes through is key to creat

How much should I charge? This is a common question I get from tax professionals, new and seasoned. I also see it in various tax groups when it comes to tax preparation and tax representation. But I get it. It took me a while to become comfortable with my tax representation prices. That allowed me to be confident in quoting clients and delivering value. Today I'm going to walk you through the process I use to price a tax representation case. Note, that this is a framework. Wh