New bus card now with EA

[AZ-Tax]

Before I order my new bus cards as now an Enrolled Agent, I am curious what EA's have placed on thier bus cards and I am aware we need to comply with cir 230 regarding what can and cannot be printed on our cards. On our EA wallet card it has 1 rather long sentence after/under our name. I was going to research it but is that 1 sentence allowed to be placed on an EA's business card though it does make the bus card look kind of busy.

OR is the norm pretty much EA after your name?

[Koss]

Credentials

I don't think there is a "norm." Everyone has their own preferences.

It is certainly very common to simply add the letters EA after your name. But there are many other options.

Many prospective clients, or even existing clients, do not know what an EA is. However, with the new regulations, public awareness is increasing. Moreover, some feel that it is almost an advantage to have "mysterious letters" after your name, because it is more likely to provoke a question, and give you an opportunity to explain your qualifications.

I'm not familiar with the current version of the EA card. What is the "one long sentence" that you are referring to?

My business cards look like this:

Burton M. Koss, MA

Admitted to practice before
the Internal Revenue Service

I chose not to use the letters EA, because it feels a little redundant when combined with the description below my name.

MA refers to the fact that I have a master of arts degree.

With that being said, when I sign a business letter, I usually sign it like this:

Burton M. Koss, MA, EA

Other terms that are permitted by Cir. 230 are authorized and enrolled. And you can use the term represent, or representation.

If you join the National Association of Enrolled Agents, then you can use the NAEA logo on your business card.

That by itself is probably not a reason to join. But I do think the organization offers a good value. I get a lot of mileage out of the monthly meetings of our local chapter, which include qualifying continuing education.

BMK

[Lion]

My business cards say

Rita Lewis
MBA, EA

I sign tax returns

Rita L. Lewis, EA

When I have more space, a bio for instance, I list

Rita Lewis, MBA in Finance, EA (or something similar)

My web site is headed

Dollars & Sense, LLC
Personalized Financial Management for You and Your Business

but, for a business invoice I might use

Personalized Financial Management for Small Businesses (or something similar)

Facts and circumstances, case by case!

My web site includes a newsletter defining EA that is the NAEA article.

[AZ-Tax]

After my name on my EA card is says the following:

After my name on my EA card is says the following: is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service under 31 code of the Federal Regulations Part 10 (Department of Treasury Cicular No.230)

I have collected tax preparers, especially EA's, cards over the years and gotta say, never saw one with the above written on it. It might generated a question or 2.

[oceanlovin'ea]

my card

On my card, I have EA after my name. I also have a line that reads "Licensed to represent before the IRS"

On the back of my card I have put a couple of things I have borrowed from others.

Enrolled agents are individuals who have demonstrated technical competence and professional ethics to the Treasury Department and have been granted enrollment to unlimited practice rights before the Internal Revenue Service.

EA'S ARE TAX PROFESSIONALS
EA's do tax CPR: Consultation, Preparation
& Representation

Feel free to use any of this if you like.

Linda, EA

[KBTS]

After my name on my EA card is says the following: is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service under 31 code of the Federal Regulations Part 10 (Department of Treasury Cicular No.230)

I have collected tax preparers, especially EA's, cards over the years and gotta say, never saw one with the above written on it. It might generated a question or 2.

No offense meant here, but I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish with all of that. Will anyone be interested in the code section or reference to Circular 230, or will it just cause them to glaze over and stare blankly at your card? A business card should be a tool which concisely tells potential customers who you are and what you offer. Too many details or information which needs a long explanation serves to defeat the purpose of a business card.

[Koss]

Business Cards

The style and format of a business card is an intensely personal decision. It's almost easier when you work for a firm that makes most or all of the decisions for you.

My firm is small enough that I was the guy who had to make those decisions earlier this year.

I have always preferred a simple, understated, quiet card, in the tradition that is used by most old-school attorneys. I'm not an attorney. But there is a basic, simple format that has been in use by solo practice attorneys and smaller law firms for decades, and you really can't go wrong.

It's the KISS formula: Keep it simple, stupid.

There is something to be said for cards that have lots of color, or information on both sides, or an elaborate, eye-catching logo. Or a photo of the person. (This very popular among real estate agents.) Or a card that is laid out vertically instead of horizontally.

That works for some folks; it's not my style.

You do need to get a little creative in order to fit in the information that people are looking for these days. It used to be you could get your address and telephone number into three or four lines and you were done. Now people have more than one office location, plus an e-mail address, a website address, a fax number and a cell phone number.

But you can still keep it relatively simple and to the point.

A-Z Tax wrote:

is that 1 sentence allowed to be placed on an EA's business card though it does make the bus card look kind of busy.

After my name on my EA card is says the following:
is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service under 31 code of the Federal Regulations Part 10 (Department of Treasury Circular No. 230)

I have collected tax preparers, especially EA's, cards over the years and gotta say, never saw one with the above written on it. It might generate a question or 2.

I think that whole sentence would be overkill. But you can get the core concept into the card, without making it look too "busy."

Here's an image of my card:

http://sgaweb.net/cbllc/qre8561.pdf

BMK