Considering EA certification before pursuing CFP/CPA - questions about time commitment and work-life balance

EA here with about 8 years of experience. The EA process itself isn't too time intensive compared to CPA - took me about 6 months of studying while working full-time to pass all three parts of the Special Enrollment Exam. That was studying about 10-15 hours per week. Some people do it faster, some take longer depending on your background knowledge. As for work-life balance, that's really going to depend on where you work rather than the credential itself. If you're in a tax firm during busy season (Jan-April), expect long hours. But many EAs (myself included) have found ways to structure our practices to avoid burnout. I typically work 50-55 hour weeks during tax season and 25-30 the rest of the year. The EA designation is definitely respected and can be a good stepping stone to CPA, though they focus on different areas (EA is purely tax-focused while CPA is broader accounting). The EA credential has served me well and opened many doors.

I've been using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) for my clients' more complex tax situations, and it's been a game-changer for my financial advisory practice. I'm not an EA or CPA, but this tool has helped me understand the tax implications of my investment advice without needing those credentials right away. It analyzes tax documents and gives clear explanations about potential issues or optimization opportunities. Might be worth checking out while you're pursuing your EA certification.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it out for my practice after seeing it mentioned here. I was skeptical at first, but it's actually been really valuable! I used it to review some of my clients' previous tax returns and it identified several missed deductions that their previous advisors overlooked. It's helping me bridge the gap until I complete my EA certification. While it doesn't replace the credential, it's definitely improving the quality of my tax-related conversations with clients right now.

If you're having issues getting through to the IRS while studying for your EA (which you probably will), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They've saved me countless hours of being on hold. They basically call the IRS for you and then call you once they've got an agent on the line. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I started using it when preparing for my EA exams because I had so many questions about the enrollment process and couldn't waste hours on hold while studying.

I was totally skeptical about Claimyr but I finally tried it last week when I needed to talk to the IRS about my PTIN registration (which you'll need for EA work). I was prepared to waste my entire afternoon on hold, but Claimyr got me through in about 20 minutes total - most of which was just waiting for their callback when they had an agent. Saved me at least 2 hours of hold music! Definitely using this throughout my EA studies.

I did the EA → CFP path and it worked really well. The EA took me about 9 months while working full-time, then I did the CFP about a year later. The EA gives you solid tax knowledge which is super helpful for financial planning. The CFP builds on that with more investment and planning strategies. For work-life balance, I'm with an RIA firm now working about 40-45 hours weekly with flexibility for my marathon training. The EA + CFP combo definitely commands better compensation than just having the CFP alone.

One thing to consider - the EA might actually be better than CPA for your situation if you want to focus specifically on tax planning for your investment clients. CPAs cover much broader accounting topics, and the exam/requirements are more rigorous. If work-life balance is important to you and you're primarily interested in tax planning, the EA might be the perfect terminal credential rather than just a stepping stone.

Just wanted to chime in about the triathlon training aspect since that's important to you. I'm an EA with my own practice and also train for marathons. The key is setting boundaries with clients. I made it clear from the beginning that I don't work weekends (except maybe a few during peak tax season) and I block off specific training times in my calendar that are non-negotiable. You absolutely can maintain athletic pursuits while being an EA - just structure your practice intentionally!

As someone who's been working in tax preparation for about 3 years now, I can definitely echo what others have said about the EA certification being very manageable while maintaining work-life balance. I passed all three parts in about 8 months while working full-time and training for a half-marathon. One thing I'd add is that your background as a financial advisor will actually be really helpful for the EA exam, especially the individual tax section. You already understand investment products, retirement accounts, and capital gains/losses, which gives you a solid foundation. The H&R Block program is a good start, but I'd recommend supplementing with either Gleim or PassKey EA review materials. The exam tests much deeper knowledge than basic tax prep. For the triathlon training aspect - I actually found that having a structured study schedule helped me stay disciplined with both my training and exam prep. I'd study early mornings before training sessions, which kept me focused and efficient with both activities. One practical tip: consider taking the exams in order (Part 1: Individuals, Part 2: Businesses, Part 3: Representation) rather than all at once. This spreads out the study load and lets you apply what you're learning in real client situations if you're already doing some tax work.