JJStephens Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 After 21 years in the biz I finally broke down and took the EA exam (passed all 3 parts first time out) and applied for recognition. I just got my certificate from the IRS. I are offishul! Now to explain to all my clients that an IRS enrolled agent is NOT what they think. Sorry to bother all you with my personal problems . . . but I'm a one man shop and needed to tell someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAMalody Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Congrats from here too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulldogTom Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 After 21 years in the biz I finally broke down and took the EA exam (passed all 3 parts first time out) and applied for recognition. I just got my certificate from the IRS. I are offishul! Now to explain to all my clients that an IRS enrolled agent is NOT what they think. Sorry to bother all you with my personal problems . . . but I'm a one man shop and needed to tell someone! Welcome to the family. We are all so cool with our "offishul" certificates. Tom Lodi, CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Jani Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Lee Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 That's wonderful!! Good for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAXBILLY Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Ditto!! taxbilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 That's Great! Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggea Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Congratulations! A word of advice - keep your one-person office. Speaking from experience, if you hang your shingle in one of the chains you'll be designated as the 'expert' and end up spending most of your time fielding questions from new preparers, reviewing or fixing returns they prepared, and explaining changes in the returns to disgruntled customers when they come back in to sign new paperwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Congratulations! Buy a frame; hang your certificate on the wall behind you where your clients will spot something new this year. Add EA to your business cards and signature. As soon as you spot the perplexed look on a client's face, explain to them what an EA is. I just added an article form NAEA to my website that explains EA; prefaced it with something like "So, she's an EA. Just what does that do for me?" I have an MBA in Finance, so my cards say MBA, EA -- which gives clients an opening to say they know what an MBA is, but what's an EA? But, mostly, CONGRATULATIONS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxxcpa Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Congratulations! Buy a frame; hang your certificate on the wall behind you where your clients will spot something new this year. Add EA to your business cards and signature. As soon as you spot the perplexed look on a client's face, explain to them what an EA is. I just added an article form NAEA to my website that explains EA; prefaced it with something like "So, she's an EA. Just what does that do for me?" I have an MBA in Finance, so my cards say MBA, EA -- which gives clients an opening to say they know what an MBA is, but what's an EA? But, mostly, CONGRATULATIONS. I am both an MBA and CPA, but only show the CPA designation on business cards. Too many letters after your name might be overkill and scare off some potential clients. Could you afford to go to someone like Joe Sixpack, BBA, MBA, PhD, JD, LLD, EA, CPA, CFA--a guy with all those credentials probably charges a fortune for his services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 I put my MSBA(Taxation) on my correspondence to clients at my job. I figure the prestige factor helps the company, and they aren't paying any more for my work as for the EAs or the CTECs. Also figure it may help to toot my horn when they are debating raises... In my home office, I have the degree on the wall, but don't put it on my business cards at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 I agree you need to pick and choose what fits the circumstances. (That's the way it is with taxes, all facts and circumstances!). I'm not a CPA, so the designation that fits my tax work is EA. But, not many of my clients or potential clients knew what that was -- and didn't ask. I've had my EA for a couple of years, so have been educating people. But, I found if I used the MBA which people recognize along with the EA, they WOULD ask. Also, I'm trying to NOT be one of the cheaper preparers, so I do want a few letters after my name! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Well, my CPA goes on everything. I'd rather not be one of the cheapest, but I do work from home, so my overhead is low. But since I have a regular job too, people are happy I have weekend appointments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxxcpa Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 I agree you need to pick and choose what fits the circumstances. (That's the way it is with taxes, all facts and circumstances!). I'm not a CPA, so the designation that fits my tax work is EA. But, not many of my clients or potential clients knew what that was -- and didn't ask. I've had my EA for a couple of years, so have been educating people. But, I found if I used the MBA which people recognize along with the EA, they WOULD ask. Also, I'm trying to NOT be one of the cheaper preparers, so I do want a few letters after my name! I'm not one of the cheaper preparers , but I'm not one of the highest-priced either. My comment was not based on my own practice since I'm not trying to attract new clients--so even having CPA is not geared toward that end. Since EA is not as well known as CPA, or MBA, the MBA after your name on a business card probably carries more weight with anyone who does not ask you what EA means. As an indicator of tax knowledge, an EA is probably better than the CPA designation, but most people do not know that so it has less selling power for your practice unless it is explained to the potential client. In your case having both EA and MBA is probably advisable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJStephens Posted November 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Arrgghhh. It's already happened. The first client to whom I mentioned my new EA designation--and before I had a chance to explain what it meant-- immediately jumped to the conclusion I had gone over to the other side and was now a certified agent of the IRS. Arrgghhh! I suspect I'm going to get a lot of that. Sure wish they had a better name for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 I know. A misleading name. If I get a chance to say it to a client (instead of them just reading it) I try to say all in one breath something like "enrolled agent authorized to represent YOU before the IRS." Otherwise, like you say, they get scared that you're working for the IRS. And, that's why I include the MBA with EA after my name, so they feel comfortable with the MBA and, hopefully, ask about the EA so I can explain it to them before they panic. It seems that EA is just a benign unknown while Enrolled Agent sounds too much like IRS Agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulldogTom Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 It seems that EA is just a benign unknown while Enrolled Agent sounds too much like IRS Agent. This is why I won't join the EA society. Until they work on making the designation known and respected in the public eye, I will not pay them dues. EA's have been around long enough that the public should know who we are and what we do for them. The society, for some reason, thinks they should spend their time and money lobbying in congress. While that is important, getting the public to recognize and value our services is more important. When I see a major national advertising push to make the EA designation known, I will join. Tom Lodi, CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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