I actually did pass using primarily IRS publications, though I'll admit it wasn't easy! The key was creating a structured approach rather than just reading them cover to cover. What worked for me was printing out the content outlines Connor mentioned, then mapping specific sections of each publication to the exam topics. I'd read a section, then immediately try to explain it in my own words or create examples. This helped combat the dense language issue. I also joined a few Facebook groups for EA candidates where people would post questions about confusing sections - that community discussion really helped clarify difficult concepts. The IRS pubs definitely aren't written as study guides, but they contain all the information you need if you're willing to put in the extra work to organize it properly. That said, if budget allows, the commercial programs are definitely more efficient. But for those who want to go the free route like the OP, it's absolutely doable with the right strategy and a lot of patience!

As someone who just passed all three parts of the SEE using primarily IRS publications, I can definitely confirm it's possible! Here's the system I developed that made it manageable: I created a three-column spreadsheet for each exam part: Column 1 listed the exam topics from the Prometric content outline, Column 2 identified which IRS publications covered each topic, and Column 3 tracked my study progress with specific page ranges or sections. For the dense language issue, I found that reading each section twice helped - first for general understanding, then again while taking detailed notes in plain English. I also created my own "cheat sheets" summarizing key rules, exceptions, and thresholds for easy review. One tip that really helped: I set up practice scenarios for myself. After reading about a tax concept, I'd create fake taxpayer situations and work through them step by step. This made the abstract rules much more concrete. The IRS's own Interactive Tax Assistant tool was also surprisingly helpful for checking my understanding of complex scenarios - it's free and walks you through decision trees for many tax situations covered on the exam. Total study time was about 6 months (10-15 hours per week), but I felt very well prepared by exam day. The key is being systematic about it rather than just randomly reading publications!

I'm a newcomer to this community but had to jump in after reading through all these experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world feedback I was looking for! I've been using TurboTax for the past few years without major issues, but this year I have some stock options from my employer that vested, plus some cryptocurrency transactions, and I'm getting really nervous about trying to import all of this data given what everyone is describing. The investment reporting errors sound particularly concerning since those can trigger IRS audits if the numbers don't match what brokerages report. Has anyone had specific issues with employee stock option reporting, or is it mainly affecting regular brokerage account imports? I'm wondering if I should just skip the import feature entirely and do everything manually, even though it'll take forever. Also, for those who switched to alternatives like FreeTaxUSA or TaxAct - do they handle more complex investment situations better, or are we just trading one set of problems for another? Really appreciate everyone sharing their detailed experiences here!

Yes I'm having Turbo Tax issues Helping a friend. Turbo says she qualifies for the $500 other dependent credit since the 2 live together and other person is 40 with no income. They also say she should file as single even though her partner should qualify her as head of household

I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with the exact same Robinhood 1099-B import nightmare. After reading everyone's experiences, I decided to try a few of the suggested approaches. First, I contacted Robinhood support through their app asking for an alternative CSV format. It took about 4 days, but they did send me a cleaner CSV file. However, like others mentioned, it was missing the wash sale adjustments entirely. I also tried the taxr.ai tool that Dylan and Dmitry had success with. I was hesitant about uploading financial documents online, but their security seemed legitimate. The AI extraction was surprisingly accurate - it caught all my transactions AND the wash sales from my PDF. The output format imported into TaxAct without any issues. What really convinced me was being able to cross-reference the AI-extracted data against my official 1099-B line by line. Everything matched perfectly, including some complex wash sale chains I had from trading the same stock multiple times. For anyone still on the fence about these newer solutions - I get the skepticism, but manually entering 180+ transactions would have taken me an entire weekend. This saved me probably 8+ hours and gave me confidence that the numbers were accurate. Just make sure whatever method you use, you do that final verification against your official documents like Ryan suggested.

I've been lurking on this thread because I'm facing the exact same issue with my Robinhood 1099-B and TaxAct! After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm leaning toward trying the AI extraction route that several people have had success with. One question I haven't seen addressed - for those who used these automated solutions, how did you handle the final review process? I'm particularly worried about missing something important since I had some pretty complex trading activity last year, including options that got exercised and a few stocks that went through mergers. Also, has anyone run into issues with TaxAct's import limits? I've got around 300 transactions and I'm wondering if there's a maximum number of line items the software can handle in a single import. The last thing I want is to get 90% through the process only to hit some arbitrary limit. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences here - it's so much more helpful than the generic advice you find in most tax forums!

Has anyone used the "my529" plan from Utah? I'm in a multi-state situation too (Utah and Idaho) and I've heard Utah's plan has good investment options even for non-residents. Trying to decide if I should put money in both states' plans or just use Utah's for everything.

Great question! I'm dealing with a similar multi-state situation between Florida and Virginia. One thing I learned that might help is to also consider the rollover rules between state plans. If you start with separate 529s in different states and later decide you want to consolidate, most states allow you to roll funds from one 529 to another once per 12-month period without tax consequences. This gives you flexibility to optimize your strategy over time. You could start by maximizing deductions in both states with separate accounts, then potentially consolidate later into whichever plan performs better or has lower fees. Also worth noting - make sure you understand each state's recapture rules. Some states will make you pay back the tax deduction if you roll the money out to another state's plan within a certain timeframe. Virginia, for example, has a recapture period, while other states don't. The administrative overhead of multiple accounts isn't too bad if you set up automatic contributions. I use a spreadsheet to track everything and review annually to see if I want to adjust my strategy.

Great question about the EA exam timeline! I'm actually in a similar boat - working full-time at a regional CPA firm and just started my EA exam prep last month. From my research and talking to colleagues who've passed, three months is definitely doable but you'll need to be really disciplined. I'm planning about 15-20 hours per week, which breaks down to roughly 2 hours on weeknights and 6-8 hours total over the weekend. One resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is the IRS's Continuing Education Provider directory - many of them offer EA exam prep courses that you can take at your own pace. I found a few that have evening and weekend options specifically designed for working professionals. Also, if your firm has any EAs on staff, definitely ask if you can pick their brains about study strategies. My supervisor gave me some old practice exams and shared which topics tend to be heavily tested versus what you can skim over. The commute study idea is brilliant - I've been using the IRS Tax Pro podcasts during my drive, and while they're not specifically EA exam focused, they cover a lot of the same material in a digestible format. Keep us posted on how your prep goes! It would be great to have someone else going through this journey at the same time.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - working about 40 hours a week at a tax prep firm and considering the EA exam. Reading everyone's experiences is really encouraging. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned much is the importance of understanding your own peak learning times. I discovered I retain information much better early in the morning before work rather than trying to study when I'm exhausted after a long day. I started waking up an hour earlier and doing focused study sessions from 6-7 AM, then using my evening time for lighter review or listening to podcasts. Also, for anyone using practice questions, I found it helpful to keep a running "mistake log" where I wrote down every question I got wrong and why. This became my go-to review material in the weeks leading up to each exam part. Sometimes seeing your common error patterns written out helps you avoid them on test day. The three-month timeline is definitely achievable with discipline! I'm planning to start my prep in January and take my first part in April. Would love to connect with others on similar timelines for mutual support and accountability.