Finance Exam Prep

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 43, Section 179 Expensing — Limits

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 two primary limitations on the Section 179 deduction: the overall investment limit and the business taxable income limit. - How to calculate the reduction in the maximum Section 179 expense when total asset purchases exceed the phase-out threshold. - That the deduction is ultimately capped by the business's taxable income for the year, a common exam trap. - Any amount disallowed due to the taxable income limitation can be carried forward to subsequent tax years indefinitely. - Which types of real property improvements, such as HVAC and roofs, qualify for the Section 179 expense election. 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] 42, Bonus Depreciation — Phase-Down Schedule

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 bonus depreciation rate for 2024 is 60%, and it decreases by 20% each year until it reaches zero in 2027. - Used property now qualifies for bonus depreciation, a significant change from pre-TCJA rules and a common exam trap. - The election to opt out of bonus depreciation must be made for an entire asset class, not on an asset-by-asset basis. - Bonus depreciation is claimed on Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization. - Certain long-production-period property benefits from a one-year delay in the phase-down schedule. 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] 41, MACRS Conventions — Half-Year, Mid-Quarter, Mid-Month

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 half-year convention is the default for personal property, granting six months of depreciation in the first year regardless of the purchase date. - The mid-quarter convention is a mandatory test triggered if over 40% of the basis of personal property is placed in service in the final three months of the year. - When the mid-quarter convention applies, it affects all personal property placed in service during that year, not just the assets from the fourth quarter. - The mid-month convention is exclusively used for real property (residential rental and nonresidential real) and is never optional. - A common exam trap is incorrectly including real property or Section 179 property in the 40% mid-quarter test calculation. 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] 40, MACRS — Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System

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 identify the correct MACRS class life for commonly tested assets like computers (5-year) and office furniture (7-year). - The critical difference between the 27.5-year life for residential rental property and the 39-year life for nonresidential real property. - The function of the default half-year convention and how it applies to personal property. - How to spot the common exam trap of the mid-quarter convention by applying the 40% test for assets placed in service in the fourth quarter. - The specific application of the mid-month convention exclusively for real property. 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] 39, Depreciation Basics — Useful Life and Method

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: - For tax purposes, an asset's useful life is its IRS-mandated recovery period, not its actual economic life. - The Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) is the primary method for depreciating most business and investment property. - The General Depreciation System (GDS) is the default under MACRS and uses accelerated methods for faster cost recovery. - The Alternative Depreciation System (ADS) uses the straight-line method over a longer period and is mandatory in specific situations. - A common exam trap is using the financial accounting useful life instead of the correct tax recovery period provided in a question. 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