To be an EA or not to be

[kpangelinan]

True. The cons mostly aim for political office or a law degree.

Politics for sure!

[oceanlovin'ea]

There is a strong possibility that after becoming an EA and telling your client base about your new credentials, you might actually get more referrals from them and your client base will grow.
I don't raise my prices every year but every 2 or 3 years I raise them a little. Next year everyone will get an increase except for the new people this year. They usually start out at a little higher rate anyway.

I think I have really noticed this year in particular the new clients that have come to me have been really pleased that I would take time to answer their questions and talk to them. If I didn't know for sure, I just pulled out my tax bible "The Tax Book" and looked for an answer for them.

You might find the same thing will happen for you.

Linda, EA

[Bees Knees]

2. You have to find an excuse other than ineligibility if you don't want to defend at audit a return you did not prepare...

If I didn't prepare the return, and I don't want to take on the audit engagement, I would simply say I don't want to defend a return I did not prepare.

Not sure why that would be any kind of negative.

[erchess]

Different strokes

Bees has said previously that he does not defend at audit returns he did not prepare. I am just the reverse. If I could I would do nothing but audits and would not be in the least bothered by the fact that I had not written the returns. To my mind the more audits I handle the more steadily I can work throughout the year and the less pressured I am to do every single return I can do during tax season. On the other hand, I am not involved in running TMI and if I were I might choose to do as little of my tax business outside of "the season" as possible.