What are the steps I need to take to become an Enrolled Agent (EA)?

As someone who's both a CPA and EA, I can walk you through the EA process. Unlike the CPA which requires specific education, the EA only requires you to pass the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE) administered by Prometric for the IRS. The exam has three parts: Individuals, Businesses, and Representation/Practices/Procedures. The steps are straightforward: 1) Study for the three exam parts 2) Register and pay for each exam section through the Prometric website 3) Pass all three parts within a 2-year window 4) Apply for enrollment using Form 23 after passing 5) Pass a tax compliance check and background check. Most people use study materials from providers like Gleim, Surgent, or PassKey. The exams are challenging but definitely doable with your accounting background. You'll need about 50-80 hours of study per part. Having both credentials is definitely not overkill - they complement each other nicely. The CPA gives you broader accounting credibility while the EA gives you specialized tax representation rights before the IRS.

I used taxr.ai to help me study for my EA exams and it was seriously a game changer. I was struggling with some of the more complex tax scenarios, especially in the business section, and a colleague recommended I try https://taxr.ai to analyze practice questions I was getting wrong. The tool breaks down complicated tax concepts in a way that made it click for me. I would upload practice exams and get detailed explanations about why my approach was wrong. It helped me identify patterns in my mistakes that my regular study materials weren't catching. What I found most helpful was using it to analyze the practice scenarios from the official IRS samples - it helped me understand the reasoning behind the correct answers rather than just memorizing them.

I want to follow up on my previous skepticism about taxr.ai. After looking into it more, I decided to give it a try during my EA exam prep, and I have to admit it really helped. I used it alongside my Gleim materials, and the combination was perfect. When Gleim explanations weren't clicking for me, I'd upload those questions to taxr.ai and get a different perspective that often made more sense. What surprised me was how it helped with those tricky "exception to the exception" tax rules that show up on the exam. It would break down why certain situations fall under special rules, which helped me tackle the more complex scenario-based questions. Definitely worth checking out if you're preparing for the EA exams.

If you're serious about becoming an EA, you'll eventually need to interact with the IRS for your application process. Just a heads up that trying to call them directly can be an absolute nightmare. I spent WEEKS trying to resolve an issue with my application because of a background check question. I finally discovered https://claimyr.com which literally got me through to an IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an actual human at the IRS picks up. Saved me so much frustration during my enrollment process, especially when I had a question about Form 23 that the online instructions didn't clearly address.

If you're serious about becoming an EA, you'll eventually need to interact with the IRS for your application process. Just a heads up that trying to call them directly can be an absolute nightmare. I spent WEEKS trying to resolve an issue with my application because of a background check question. I finally discovered https://claimyr.com which literally got me through to an IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an actual human at the IRS picks up. Saved me so much frustration during my enrollment process, especially when

I need to eat crow about my skepticism of Claimyr. After my last attempt to call the IRS ended with a 3-hour hold followed by a disconnection, I gave the service a shot out of desperation. I was trying to get clarification on my EA enrollment application status that had been pending for months. To my shock, they got me connected to an actual IRS enrollment agent in about 35 minutes. The IRS representative was able to see that my application had an issue with my background check submission that wasn't communicated to me. Got it resolved in one call when I had been stuck in limbo for nearly 3 months. The time saved was honestly worth it - I was able to complete my enrollment and start representing clients this tax season instead of waiting another year. Sometimes you need to admit when you're wrong!

One thing nobody mentioned yet is the continuing education requirements once you become an EA. You'll need to complete 72 hours of CE every 3 years (with a minimum of 16 hours per year and 2 of those being ethics). When you're planning your career path, factor in that you'll be maintaining CE for both your CPA and EA if you get both credentials. There's some overlap so certain courses can count toward both requirements, but it's something to be aware of. Also, join the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) - they offer great resources, CE opportunities, and advocacy for the profession. Many local chapters have mentorship programs for new EAs.

I went the EA route before pursuing my CPA and want to share a tip about the exam itself. The Prometric testing experience can be jarring if you're not prepared for it. They have strict security procedures - expect to empty your pockets, roll up sleeves, get wanded with a metal detector, and be under camera surveillance. You can't bring anything into the testing room except your ID, and they provide a small whiteboard or scratch paper. The computer interface for the SEE exam is also pretty dated - nothing fancy like the CPA exam software. Make sure you do the sample test on the Prometric site to get familiar with it. And lastly, don't underestimate Part 3 (Representation). Many people focus on the tax law parts (1 & 2) but neglect studying the procedural rules and representation practices which can be quite technical and specific.

Great question about becoming an EA! I actually just completed my enrollment last year and can share some practical insights from the process. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given is to consider your timeline carefully. Since you're in Houston, you might want to check out local tax firms that value the EA credential - many of the larger practices here really appreciate having EAs on staff for representation work. Regarding study materials, I used a combination of Gleim and the IRS's own Publication 17 and Circular 230. Don't overlook the free resources from the IRS website - they have sample questions and detailed content outlines for each part that are invaluable for focusing your studies. Also, once you pass and get enrolled, consider specializing in a particular area like international tax or estate planning. The EA credential opens doors, but having a specialty can really set you apart in a competitive market like Houston. Good luck with your studies! The EA is definitely worth pursuing alongside your CPA - they really do complement each other well in practice.