Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 60, Vehicle Expenses — Standard Mileage vs Actual

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 60, Vehicle Expenses — Standard Mileage vs Actual

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 standard mileage rate offers simplicity, while the actual expense method requires detailed record-keeping of costs like gas, insurance, and depreciation. - The first-year choice is critical: using the standard mileage rate initially allows you to switch to the actual method later, but choosing the actual method first (with accelerated depreciation) prevents you from ever using the standard rate for that car. - For leased vehicles, choosing the standard mileage rate in the first year locks you into that method for the entire lease term. - Parking fees and tolls for business travel are deductible under both the standard and actual methods, which is a common exam trap. - A contemporaneous mileage log is mandatory for both methods; without it, the IRS can disallow the deduction. 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] 59, Meals — 50% vs 100% Deductible

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 default business meal deduction is 50%, a common starting point for exam questions. - Meals for company-wide employee events, like holiday parties, are an exception and are 100% deductible. - Food provided to the general public for promotional purposes is fully deductible. - Meals tied to entertainment are non-deductible unless the meal cost is stated separately on the invoice. - Use the mnemonic 'Parties, Public, and Prizes' to quickly recall the primary 100% deductible meal categories. 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] 58, Travel Expenses — Tax Home and Away from Home

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: - Your 'tax home' is defined as your main place of business, which may be different from your family's residence. - Travel expenses are only deductible if you are 'away from home' long enough to require sleep or rest. - A work assignment is considered temporary, allowing for deductible travel expenses, if it is realistically expected to last one year or less. - If a temporary job is extended to last more than one year, it becomes an indefinite assignment, and the location becomes your new tax home from the moment the expectation changes. - Deductible travel costs include transportation and lodging, but meal expenses are generally limited to a 50% deduction. 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] 57, Change of Accounting Method — Form 3115

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: - When a taxpayer must file Form 3115 to request a change in accounting method. - How to calculate the Section 481(a) adjustment to prevent duplication or omission of income. - The timing difference for recognizing positive (4-year spread) versus negative (1-year deduction) adjustments. - The distinction between automatic and non-automatic consent procedures for accounting method changes. - How to differentiate a change in method from a correction of an error, which requires an amended return. 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] 56, Hybrid Accounting 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: - The hybrid method is a combination of cash and accrual accounting permitted by the IRS. - A business with inventory must use the accrual method for all purchases and sales of that merchandise. - Service-based income and general operating expenses can often be accounted for using the cash method under a hybrid system. - A common exam trap involves small businesses with inventory incorrectly attempting to use the pure cash method for all transactions. - Any accounting method chosen, including hybrid, must be used consistently and must clearly reflect income to be valid. 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