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BECOME AN EA

Become an EA

Enrolled Agents are America’s Tax Experts

EAs are federally-licensed tax professionals who specialize in tax preparation and have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrolled Agents, like attorneys and certified public accountants (CPAs), are generally unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients before.

What are the employment opportunities for an Enrolled Agent?

A large number of Enrolled Agents are self-employed with practices that offer year-round services to their clients (and often will include bookkeeping payroll and other services). EAs also are employed by other firms of Enrolled Agents, by CPA firms, by attorneys specializing in areas of taxation, by large commercial tax preparation firms, by banks and investment companies, and by private firms needing in-house tax expertise. Building a year-round tax practice takes time and experience, so some will start their tax career on a part-time basis while still employed in another occupation, with the intent of developing the tax practice into a self-supporting and profitable business. CSEA offers many education and professional development courses to greatly help both new and experienced Enrolled Agents.

May I join CSEA before I become an Enrolled Agent?

Yes, becoming a CSEA member is a great idea. Non-enrolled preparers may join as an Associate. Associate memberships offer the same benefits and discounts (with the exception of being listed as an Enrolled Agent in our online tax professional search tool). Associates cannot hold office or vote. Joining now provides you access to your local Chapter for networking with other Enrolled Agents and tax professionals, along with access to the information which can help you achieve your goals and help build your career! As a CSEA member, you will also receive discounts on Enrolled Agent exam preparation courses. For details, please see below, “How do I prepare for the examination?

About the Special Enrollment Examination (“SEE” Exam)

The SEE exam is a comprehensive three-part exam provided at hundreds of locations both nationally and internationally from May each year through February of the following year. The Test is administered by Prometric Inc. Prospective EAs may schedule the three parts (individual tax; business tax; and representation practices and procedures) in any order, but must pass all three parts to apply for enrollment. Several CSEA Chapters offer review courses to prepare for the SEE. For more information on when and where the courses are offered, please search our education listings for the title, "Enrolled Agent Exam Review Course."
  • CSEA partners with Gleim to offer CSEA Members a 10% discount on Gleim’s EA, CPA, CMA or CIA review Systems (per part and/or full sets) and our continuing education packages (20, 40, 80 or 100 hours). Click here to view Gleim’s products.
  • NOTE: The CSEA Education Foundation has scholarships available for those doing the SEE review courses. Click here for more information regarding available scholarships.

How do I prepare for the examination? Are there any study materials?

In studying for the examination, you may wish to refer to the Internal Revenue Code, Circular 230, IRS publications, as well as IRS tax forms and accompanying instructions. Many IRS publications, tax forms and accompanying instructions are online at www.irs.gov. The IRS Tax Map may also be useful when studying for the exam. The Tax Map gathers IRS forms, instructions, publications, and web pages by topic and organizes links to these sources on a single topic page. Content on Tax Map is tax year specific, and you can research from TY 2017 back to TY 2012. For more information about the EA profession, visit the IRS webpage, "Enrolled Agents - Frequently Asked Questions."

Visit Prometric.com/see for other helpful information including:
  • Candidate Information Bulletin
  • SEE tutorial
  • "What to Expect on Test Day" video
  • "Test Drive Your Examination" (schedule and sit for a practice examination free of charge)

How much does it cost to take the SEE Exam?

There is a $206 fee per part paid at the time of appointment scheduling. The test fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Please refer to Prometric's Candidate Information Bulletin for the policy on rescheduling appointment. Once you become an Enrolled Agent you must:

EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

(1) California residents not currently or previously licensed as EAs are eligibel to apply for a scholarship for tuition, including registration, fees and books, for courses in the field of taxation, finance, or accounting, particularly courses specifically designed for Special Enrollment Examination (SEE) preparation.

(2) Current California EAs who wish to broaden their knowledge in the field of taxation are eligible to apply for a scholarship fro approporiate courses. Scholarships are NOT awarded for courses necessary to maintain Continuing Education (CE) hour requirements, but are specifically intended for courses that expand the fields of knowledge and expertise. Examples of appropriate courses include Tax Court, NTPI, C-STAR, etc.

CSEA Scholarship Website OR CALL (916) 366-6646