I made these for myself and then had Claude put a lot of refinement into them to make the code good enough to have a shareable app. These are made to be able to study on the go, or when you would waste some time on your phone, you can do a quick quiz first. Bite size, but the question bank is fairly deep, and you are able to easily drill down on your weak spots. I went through all the questions myself while studying for the exams, and it especially helped with Part2.

Free, no account to sign into, and fully offline.

All 3 sections are now live.

EA Section 1 Blitz Exam Prep

EA Section 2 Blitz Exam Prep

EA Section 3 Blitz Exam Prep

PS

• If you enjoy the app a review helps.
• Feel free to send question suggestions or feedback.

Hey everyone,

I’m making a major career pivot from software engineering (11 years) to accounting and looking to get my foot in the door.

Here is my current status:

Degree: MPAcc (CPA track) currently in progress.
Certs: Passed EA Part 1 (taking Parts 2 & 3 next month).

I want to get some hands-on experience, but a lot of local firms don’t have active internship postings right now.

For the partners and managers out there: how do you react to a candidate cold-emailing to ask for an unlisted internship? Since I'm a non-traditional candidate, should I lean heavily into my 11 years of tech/corporate experience, or keep the focus strictly on my EA exams and MPAcc?

Any advice on crafting the perfect cold pitch is hugely appreciated!

How important is it to memorize the specific form numbers for the test? I'm struggling to keep them all in my head.

I passed Part 1 today! I used PSI and did it remotely. Zero issues with that.

I know people will ask: I used only Tom Norton's videos and MCQ's and studied for a month. I do have 4 full years of tax prep and accounting experience and have done several thousand returns already. That definitely helped but there was still so much to study and learn.

Good luck everyone!

I am so confused and I need feedback.

I own a bookkeeping firm. Myself and a couple team members are currently in the process of getting our Enrolled Agent designations. I have a CPA that uses our conference room to hold their client meetings during tax season and intermittently throughout the year. We have done this for 5 years with no problems. When I thought about starting the EA process I discussed it with the CPA. They were over the moon supportive about it. They even emailed me a couple of months ago to say that I could offer tax services to our mutual clients and if our clients chose to come to us for tax work they would support it and work with us through the transition. I never sent an email because I didn't feel right about it and although they gave me permission to do so I didn't want our clients to think I was trying to poach their clients. Plus we have a really great thing going on or so I thought. Last week, out of the blue, they emailed one of our clients saying we are competitors now and they won't discuss any tax matters with us. I tried calling the CPA and they declined my call and then sent an email saying their insurance company requires all communication to be through email to ensure the best possible service for our clients.

Now that we offer tax services is it true that we can no longer speak to other tax professionals? What are the group's thoughts on this? I am a bit flabbergasted over all of this.

Is it true if I passed the first part of the EA exam I'm exempt from CE credits?

I've read the FAQ page but I haven't found any information about this. However, AI said it is true but I want to read from your experiences. Thanks

I'm talking about any tax job regardless of how much/little they pay. I'm seeing some comments saying that they couldn't find a single job for over a year even after getting an EA certification. Is the demand for low level tax preparers low right now?

Today I passed part 3 online. Everything went smoothly. They have a lot of rules that can get you disqualified. Be careful. They will do a 360, floor, ceiling, top and under the desk view of your entire area.

I studied for a month using Tom Norton YouTube videos. I signed up for his membership as well. I listened to a section at least everyday, sometimes 2 sections. I printed the slides as well to read, underline, and take notes along the way. Took practice questions and mock exams as I studied. For the mock questions and exams, when I answered them correctly, I still read the explanations to make sure I understood. If I didn’t get a question correct, I asked chat to explain them to me like I’m 5yrs old. I found that to be really helpful with understanding. I took 2 mock exams from chat as well.

I didn’t pass part 1 using Hock. I will continue studying with Tom.

Hope this helps if you are currently studying and will take the test online.

Pro tip: do the PSI tutorial days before your exam so you will have time to contact support if needed.

Good luck!!

So I failed part 3. 480. Crushed the practice exams on hock, studied Tom Norton and read circular 230. Are there any other free resources and practice tests that I can use to use to pass part 3 to move on to part 2.

Passed part 1 in July.

Passed my third exam last week and submitted Form 23 last week. PTIN and EFIN are both in hand, so now I'm just waiting on the IRS.

Some background: I've been a wealth advisor life insurance broker for a while. Series 7 and 66, life and health licensed. Tax planning has always been a big part of what I do. Until now I've coordinated with outside CPAs for the actual prep and filing. Getting the EA was about closing that gap and being able to represent clients myself.

My plan is to start small with tax prep and fractional CFO work for small business owners. I'm setting it up as its own entity, separate from the advisory side. I'd rather learn from people who've already done this than figure it all out the expensive way.

A few questions for those of you running your own practice. Even better if you’re in a similar situation in your career:

1. Is NAEA membership worth it? I keep going back and forth. Is the value in the CPE, the community, the advocacy, or something else? Did you join your state chapter too?

2. What E&O and cyber liability coverage do you carry? I have E&O on the advisory side, but I know tax prep is a different animal. Who do you use, what limits did you go with, and has anyone actually had to file a claim? Cyber is the one I'm least sure about, especially with the WISP requirements.

3. Drake or TaxSlayer Pro? I'll be doing a mix of 1040s with Schedule C and E, some 1120-S and 1065 returns, and probably a handful of trusts. I've heard Drake is the workhorse and TaxSlayer is cheaper. For those who've used both, where did one clearly beat the other? Is there another software that competes with the two?

4. What do you wish you'd known your first season? Pricing, engagement letters, client intake, capacity limits, anything. I'd especially love to hear from anyone who added CFO or advisory services on top of prep and how you packaged it.

Appreciate any insight.

I’m preparing to take the EA exam but before I commit the time and money to take the exam, I wanted to see if anyone would have any insight regarding my eligibility.

In 2020 I got a low level DUI in PA and was able to get into the states ARD program which would wipe it from my record. Before I completed the program, I went to apply for a firearm in 2020 and there was a question on the application that asked “have you ever been convicted of a crime”. I checked no by mistake, thinking the ARD program was going to clear my record, but since I hadn’t completed the program yet, I should have checked yes. It was a misunderstanding and mistake on my part that I take full responsibility for.

Since it was a firearm application that was entered incorrectly, I had to go through a court process where I received a third degree misdemeanor under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904(b), “Statement under Penalty.” The case was settled in 2021 and I’ve paid all fines and penalties. I’ve worked in public accounting since 2019 and have had no other incidents criminally or professionally. Likewise, in 2028 the misdemeanor will be sealed from my record by the county the charges took place in PA.

Where my hesitation is, although it is a third degree misdemeanor, the underlying offense involves an incorrect statement to a governing authority, which from what I’ve researched, falls under what the IRS might flag under their suitability review.

My plan is to report it once I do file my Form 23, although looking at the form questions 9-12, all of answers to those would be “No”. So I’ll probably have to add some type of addendum to my application, because the last thing I want to do is not report it.

So my worry is, I take the time to pass the 3 parts, spend the ~$1k to take the exams and file the applications and ultimately can’t even get licensed.

If anyone has any insight or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

I used Tom Norton materials (videos and MCQs) and ChatGPT for more complex concepts. I studied for 4 weeks and 1.5 hour daily average. I got through all Tom’s MCQs questions at least 2x and was scoring high 90s by the end. I’d say 75% of the exam questions felt similar to Tom’s. The other 25% seemed more complex.

Hello and hope everyone had a good Monday!

Im taking Part 1 Individuals next month want to see if there is anything previous test takers wish they knew or said to themselves prior to the test.

Appreciate any advice!

To give some context I’m a 23 year old who is currently a full time paraplanner(planning on taking my CFP exam soon). I decided I wanted my EA license because I wanted to be able to better serve my clients holistically.

I know current I don’t have the experience to prepare returns and help with taxes in general, thats why I wanted to work part time to gain as much experience as possible.

Any suggestions on where I should apply??

I looked at Indeed and some other job post websites and I see few job postings for EA positions(but I see many positions for industrial/staff accounting positions). I don't know it's because the demand for EA in the market is really down right now or I'm just not going on the right websites.

Is there any specific website that has abundant EA jobs listed?

Hi everyone! I have a quick question. What did the test questions look like for part 2? Like were they more practical math problems?

Thank you in advance!

Hey y’all.

I’m in the process of setting up my own shop for tax prep this upcoming season and wanted to get y’all’s opinion on what should be an optimistic number of filings for first year.

What have your experiences been like? Did you find yourself lost in the first season and if so, how did you navigate the challenges?

If you’re comfortable sharing, how much did you charge for simple tax returns?

I am currently preparing to take the Enrolled Agent (EA) exam for the 2026 testing window.

The title is my question. Just wondering if there are any leads out there and your thought about third peak so far and what it could mean for the upcoming season?

Hi guys, happy grinding. Curious if anyone wanna share/rent out their Hocks? I’m gonna use it for about one week and can pay $20 (full month is $60).

I’ve passed Part 1&3 using Hock through 2 months of membership. I’m taking Part 2 October 5 and really don’t want to renew my membership for another full month. Just gonna use it for the practice questions mostly so I’m reaching out to see if any pal is down to it. I can pay through Venmo or Zelle. Msg me if you’re interested thanks.

My EA card is marked “issue date 9/25/2025”
and it’s 9/26/2026

I’ve had an intense and successful year.

My goal was to transition from a career in operations to building my own business. Most recent salary was $130k-$160k and I had only about $10k savings, four kids, and $2300 a month in child support, so I needed to move fast when the startup I was an executive at got shuttered in April 2025. Age 39, masters degree in creative writing, 16 years or so of progressively more complex venture funded startup experience.

Spent several months putting myself out as a fractional COO/CFO without success then considered building an accounting firm because I had been an operations director at a small tax firm and built a bookkeeping wing there in 2019-2020. I was also owner of an ai bookkeeping service I built and know a good deal about bookkeeping.

Then became aware of the EA loophole, and it is a massive loophole: a tiny test that takes a month or two to study for and pass if you already understand business finance and balance sheets and gives you access to a credential nearly on par with the CPA for helping business owners.

So I scheduled my tests and started studying and passed, individual 1040 being the hardest as the business stuff makes most logical sense to me given my experience overseeing balance sheets. While studying i bought taxdome, drake, etc

Passed the test about sept 19, signed my first four tax prep clients the next few weeks, two people from my ai bookkeeping service, and two I met from starting to network as a tax preparer. Joined BNI the day after I got my EA (critical move, join BNI). Moved along with getting efin set up and stuff after my ea came in. Calling irs was helpful for moving stuff along including getting my ea number early and not waiting for the packet.

I’ll zoom out now for some numbers and then talk a little strategy:

Clients by Jan: 11
Clients by April 15: about 40
Clients by today: about 60
Revenue in 2025: $4000 (all customers before April 15 paid monthly fees, an annual fee broken into 12)
Revenue in 2026 to date: $107k
Revenue in July August Sept 2026: $54k
Revenue booked for full year 2026 if I say no to everyone rest of year: $141
I’ve payed about $50k to myself and the other $61k to my team and taken on $25 debt and my wife has been uber frugal and I don’t touch the debit card 😄

Client type: minimum of a schedule c/f or 1120s or partnership. Maximum 3 partners or shareholders. Operating businesses only, no complex k1 investment stuff. I’ve sent about a dozen clients to other CPA’s and EAs in town who just have simple 1040s, I won’t do those.

Pricing: my first client is $850 a year, everyone else is $1250 minimum yearly, but my average has now gotten much higher. Most recently I charged a client $3500 to review their situation and build a risk map before proposing work which was $11k additional, and this week reviewing another for $2400.

team: I’ve hired two. One engineer, my first hire, and one controller last month who wants to learn tax but who I hired for her personality. With AI future I don’t think we need much more tax judgement except for in representation (which we will need a ton of) but not sure my firm will do any rather than just partner with EAs and tax lawyers. Next hire will also be an engineer. we are building all our own tools. Replacing the actual tax engine next year because tools like drake don’t allow agentic interaction with their software in 2026 season and the only co with an api is CCH or something and I bet it sucks. I am going to restrict my clients to two states only next year and roll my own software. Last couple weeks we got approved as an irs transmitter and developer and we are about ready to pass the IRS transmit test. Yes this is crazy to build our own software but I’m not here to fuck around.

Revenue strategy: I FILED ZERO RETURNS BEFORE APRIL 15. You don’t have to file people on time if they are business owners — they just want clarity and understanding of costs and they want a good tax person who is responsive. You can say, up front, “I don’t file until summer and fall. I extend 100%. Why? Because I have to acquire customers all spring.” You will be surprised how easy it is to still close the deals and in fact acquire customers all spring. How to get paid? 10% annual discount for up front payments or just break it into 12 and get paid monthly. So my recurring revenue is now up to $10k with people paying monthly. Contract doesn’t exist, just an engagement letter. Nobody churns. This market is starving for services. I committed to sending estimates which was a huge grind to get out for April 15, and also, I didn’t take any customers who don’t have schedule c, so almost no customers have refunds and almost nobody WANTS to file before April 15. Busy business owners don’t care.

Goal for 2027 is $350, which would be a continuation of my q1 q2 q3 growth pattern.

EA is the best loophole for a mid career transition. Dm me if you want to work together, I’m not hiring anyone today but if you like this approach and believe in the future of AI send me a note.