Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 54, Lower of Cost or Market (LCM)

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 54, Lower of Cost or Market (LCM)

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Lower of Cost or Market (LCM) method requires inventory to be valued at the lesser of its historical cost or current market value. - For tax purposes, "market" is typically the current replacement cost of the inventory. - The LCM method cannot be used if the taxpayer uses the LIFO inventory method. - A write-down from cost to a lower market value results in a recognized loss in the current period. - The exam will likely test your ability to apply the LCM rule on an item-by-item basis to calculate the correct inventory valuation. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 53, Inventory Methods — FIFO, LIFO, Specific ID

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How the FIFO method assumes the first units purchased are the first ones sold, typically resulting in higher taxable income during inflationary periods. - How the LIFO method assumes the last units purchased are the first ones sold, leading to a higher Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and lower taxable income when prices are rising. - The critical LIFO conformity rule, which mandates that if a business uses LIFO for tax purposes, it must also use it for financial reporting. - The procedural requirement of filing Form 970 with the IRS to properly elect the LIFO inventory method. - The application of the Specific Identification method for unique, high-value inventory items where the actual cost of each item can be tracked. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 52, Business Casualty Losses

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to calculate a business casualty loss: the lesser of the property's adjusted basis or the decline in its fair market value, minus insurance proceeds. - That business casualty losses are not subject to the $100 per-event reduction or the 10% of AGI floor that applies to personal losses. - Why a federally declared disaster is not a requirement for deducting a business casualty loss, unlike the strict rule for personal losses. - That the deduction for a business casualty loss is taken in the year the loss occurs, not the year of discovery (except for theft). - The specific rule for completely destroyed business property, where the loss is simply the adjusted basis minus any salvage value or insurance reimbursement. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 51, Bad Debt Deduction — Specific Charge-off

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Why business bad debts are valuable ordinary deductions, while nonbusiness bad debts are treated as short-term capital losses. - The critical difference in timing: business debts can be deducted when partially worthless, but nonbusiness debts must be wholly worthless. - That the specific charge-off method is the only permissible method for deducting bad debts for most taxpayers. - How the exam uses the repealed "reserve method" as a common incorrect answer choice to trap test-takers. - The importance of documentation to prove a valid debt existed and became uncollectible, distinguishing it from a non-deductible gift. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 50, Involuntary Conversions — §1033 Deferral

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to calculate realized gain, recognized gain, and deferred gain in a §1033 transaction. - The critical tax impact of failing to reinvest the full amount of proceeds received. - The specific replacement periods: two years for most casualties and three years for condemned business real property. - The difference between the strict "similar use" test and the more lenient "like-kind" standard. - How to calculate the basis of the new replacement property after deferring a gain. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep