Our goal is to establish relationships with individuals and small business owners, and to provide professional and personalized service, in a private office setting. Preparing your taxes using boxed software or over the internet may suffice for “simple” situations, but taxes are anything but simple and the future of tax preparation promises to become even more complex as Congress and our President
attempt to “simplify the tax code.” For example, The Affordable Care Act has made numerous changes to the tax code over a number of years. It is difficult for professionals to keep up with the many changes each year, much less the average taxpayer. When life changes bring challenging tax situations your way, it is best to have a professional you can rely on for tax advice and tax planning, one who has earned your trust and respect. An area most misunderstood among the public is the various professional designations having to do with tax preparation, and what they mean. As an Enrolled Agent (EA), we are a Federally Authorized Tax Practitioner. (Please read more about the EA designation further down on this page.) As an EA we are required by the IRS to complete 72 hours of continuing education in taxation every three years. As a member of the National Society for Enrolled Agents (NAEA), our continuing education requirements are expanded to 30 hours per year. As a believer in lifetime learning, we easily surpass the credit requirements of the IRS and the NAEA. The best source of information on choosing a tax professional we have found is on the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Ten-Tips-to-Help-You-Choose-a-Preparer
We welcome calls to our office year round, and always enjoy “talking taxes” with clients and prospective clients alike. 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.
