Finance Exam Prep

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: - You must file Form 23, the Application for Enrollment, within one year of passing the final part of the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE). - The application requires a non-refundable user fee, which is currently $140. - All applicants undergo a rigorous suitability check, which includes a personal tax compliance review and a criminal b...

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 specific individuals, like family members and full-time employees, who can make limited appearances before the IRS without being a CPA, attorney, or EA. - The IRS definition of "immediate family" for representation purposes under Circular 230. - The critical exam distinction between a regular full-time employee and an independent contractor for e...

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 specific representation rights granted to Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) participants. - That representation is strictly limited to the tax return and year the preparer actually signed. - Which IRS personnel an AFSP preparer can interact with, and which are strictly off-limits, like Appeals and Collection officers. - Common exam t...

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 three professional designations (Attorneys, CPAs, Enrolled Agents) that have unlimited representation rights before the IRS. - That unlimited rights cover all administrative IRS functions, including Examination, Collection, and Appeals. - The critical distinction between administrative representation before the IRS and judicial representation in a court. - The specific requirements for a...

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: - That "practice before the IRS" is a specific set of actions defined by Circular 230, going far beyond just preparing tax returns. - The four key activities that constitute practice: communicating with the IRS for a client, representing them in meetings, filing necessary documents, and rendering specific written tax advice. - The m...

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 EA Part 3 exam contains 100 questions, but only 85 are scored; treat every question as if it counts. - You are allotted 3.5 hours of testing time, and it's critical to manage this time effectively by not getting stuck on any single question. - The passing score is a scaled 500, which accounts for v...

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: - What it means to 'practice before the IRS' and the activities this covers. - Why Treasury Department Circular 230 is the essential rulebook for all tax representatives. - The four official content domains tested on Part 3 of the Enrolled Agent exam. - The scope and power of an Enrolled Agent's unlimited representation r...

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 strict tests required to qualify for Real Estate Professional status (the 750-hour and more-than-50% tests). - Why qualifying as a professional is only the first step to deducting rental losses. - The crucial difference between qualifying as a professional and materially participating in a rental activity. - How the e...

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 general rule that passive activity losses can only be deducted against passive activity income. - How the special $25,000 allowance for rental real estate lets taxpayers with active participation deduct losses against non-passive income. - The calculation for the MAGI phase-out of the $25,000 allowance, which occurs between $100,000 and $150,000. - That all s...

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: - To distinguish between currently deductible repairs and capital improvements that must be depreciated. - The correct MACRS depreciation lives: 27.5 years for residential property and 39 years for commercial property. - The de minimis rule where rental income is tax-free if a property is rented for fewer than 15 days. - How to apply t...

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: - Cash-method farmers are generally not required to maintain or use inventories. - Cash-basis farmers can elect to defer crop insurance proceeds for one year if they normally would have sold the crop in the following year. - The one-year deferral election also applies to federal payments received due to natural disasters t...

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: - Farm income averaging on Schedule J allows farmers to spread current year farm income over the three prior base years to reduce their tax bill. - This tax-saving strategy is available to individual farmers, partners, and S corporation shareholders, but not C corporations, trusts, or estates. - Qualifying income includes profits f...

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 distinguish between ordinary income from livestock held for sale and capital gains from breeding stock. - The main sources of farm income reportable on Schedule F, including government payments and cooperative distributions. - Why the cash accounting method is common for farmers and how it impacts the timing of i...

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 key differences and participant thresholds for Form 5500 (large plans), 5500-SF (small plans), and 5500-EZ (one-participant plans). - How the "80-120 Participant Rule" provides filing flexibility and can help avoid a mandatory plan audit. - The specific filing threshold for Form 5500-EZ, including the $250,000 asset trap that often appears on the e...

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: - SEP-IRA contributions are made only by the employer and are discretionary each year. - The SEP contribution for a self-employed person is based on net adjusted self-employment income, not gross profit. - SIMPLE-IRAs are for employers with 100 or fewer employees and allow for both employee and mandatory employer contributions. - The t...

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 key difference between 401(k) plans for for-profit entities and 403(b) plans for non-profits and schools. - The 2026 employee elective deferral limit of $24,500 and the additional $8,000 catch-up for those age 50 and over. - How profit-sharing plans are funded by discretionary employer contributions, deductible up to 25% of total participant compensation. - The c...

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 core difference between Defined Benefit (DB) and Defined Contribution (DC) plans concerning investment risk. - How employer contribution requirements are calculated for DB plans versus DC plans. - Key ERISA requirements for vesting and the specifics of cliff and graded vesting schedules. - How nondiscrimination rules, including ADP/ACP tests a...

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 crucial difference between Form 1023 for charitable 501(c)(3) organizations and Form 1024 for other non-profits like social clubs and business leagues. - The specific financial thresholds for using the streamlined Form 1023-EZ, including the $50,000 gross receipts and $250,000 total asset limits. - How the 27-month rule determines if an organization's tax-exempt status is r...

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 three-part test (Trade, Regularly Carried On, Not Substantially Related) for identifying Unrelated Business Income (UBI). - How the $1,000 specific deduction reduces Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI). - Common exam traps involving passive income, volunteer labor, and debt-financed property. - The function and filing requirement of Form 990-T for exempt organizations w...

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 key filing thresholds for Form 990 are gross receipts of $200,000 or more, OR total assets of $500,000 or more. - Organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 AND assets under $500,000 may be eligible to file the simplified Form 990-EZ. - Private foundations must always file Form 990-PF, regardless of their income or asset levels. ...

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: - That all 501(c)(3) organizations are considered private foundations by default unless they can prove they qualify for public charity status. - Which types of organizations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals, are automatically classified as public charities. - How the one-third public support test is used to determine if an organization q...

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 gifts exceeding the annual exclusion ($19,000 for 2025-2026) trigger a Form 709 filing requirement, even if no tax is due. - The rules for gift splitting, which allows married couples to double the annual exclusion to $38,000 per donee but requires filing Form 709. - The critical distinction for unlimited exclusions: tuition and medical p...

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: - Form 706 is required when the gross estate plus adjusted taxable gifts exceeds the lifetime exemption ($15 million in 2026). - The unlimited marital and charitable deductions can significantly reduce the taxable estate. - A surviving spouse can use a deceased spouse's unused estate tax exemption (DSUE) only if a timely Form 706 is filed t...

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: - An estate is a separate taxpayer from the decedent, reporting post-death income on Form 1041. - Unlike individuals, an estate can elect a fiscal year, creating flexibility for the initial return period and due date. - Estates are entitled to a $600 personal exemption, which is also the gross income threshold for the f...

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: - That a grantor trust is a pass-through entity for income tax, with all tax consequences reported on the grantor's personal Form 1040. - To identify the key triggers for grantor trust status, including revocation powers, reversionary interests over 5%, control of beneficial enjoyment, and specific administrative powers. - How tax reporting works: the t...

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: - That Distributable Net Income (DNI) acts as a ceiling for both the trust's distribution deduction and the beneficiary's reportable income. - Why capital gains allocated to the trust's principal (corpus) are the most common and critical exclusion from the DNI calculation on the EA exam. - How tax-exempt interest is included i...

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 three strict requirements a trust must meet to be classified as 'simple.' - How a trust's classification can change from simple to complex on a year-by-year basis based on its actions. - Why the specific terms written in the trust document, not just the annual distributions, can automatically make a...

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 purpose of Form 1041 for reporting income for estates and trusts. - How severely compressed tax brackets cause trust income to be taxed at the highest rates at very low thresholds. - The fundamental pass-through principle: trusts are taxed on retained income, while beneficiaries are taxed on distributed income. - The r...

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 an S corporation is often the optimal choice for a single-owner business aiming to reduce self-employment taxes. - The critical differences in tax treatment for buyers and sellers in asset versus stock acquisitions, and why buyers prefer a stepped-up basis. - How the related-party rules under IRC Section 267 disallow immediate l...

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: - C corporations must make estimated tax payments if their expected annual tax is $500 or more. - The four quarterly payment due dates for a calendar-year corporation are April 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15. - Safe harbors to avoid the underpayment penalty include paying 100% of the current year's tax or 100% of the prior y...

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 purpose of Schedule M-1 and its role in reconciling book income to taxable income for corporations with assets under $10 million. - When the more detailed and complex Schedule M-3 is required for corporations with $10 million or more in assets. - How to properly add back non-deductible expenses, such as federal i...

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 due date for a calendar-year Form 1065 is March 15th, with a six-month extension available via Form 7004. - Form 1065 is an informational return; tax liability flows through to individual partners via the Schedule K-1. - Separately stated items, like capital gains and charitable contributions, are not part of ordinary business income a...

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 annual due date for Form 1120-S is the 15th day of the 3rd month after year-end (March 15 for calendar year filers). - S corps are pass-through entities, reporting income, deductions, and credits to shareholders on Schedule K-1. - Shareholders are taxed on their pro-rata share of income, regardless of whether t...

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 distinct purpose of Form 1120 Schedules L, M-1, and M-2. - How to perform a book-to-tax reconciliation on Schedule M-1 with common exam-style adjustments. - The key differences and filing thresholds for using Schedule M-1 versus the more detailed Schedule M-3. - The standard due date for the corporate tax return a...

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 General Business Credit (GBC) is an aggregation of over 30 individual business credits, with one overall limitation. - The GBC limitation is calculated as net income tax minus the greater of the Tentative Minimum Tax (TMT) or 25% of regular tax liability over $25,000. - A common exam trap is forgetting to compare t...

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 Small Business Health Care Tax Credit requires fewer than 25 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees, which is based on total hours worked, not a simple headcount. - Eligibility requires average annual wages below an inflation-adjusted threshold and that the health insurance be purchased through a SHOP Marketplace. - The maximum credit is 50% o...

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 the Employer-Provided Childcare Credit using the 25% and 10% rates. - The maximum annual credit limit of $150,000 and how it functions as a common exam trap. - The key requirements for a 'qualified childcare facility', including non-discrimination rules. - The critical 10-year recapture rule that applies if a facility ceases o...

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 Disabled Access Credit is for small businesses with under $1 million in prior-year receipts OR 30 or fewer full-time employees. - How to calculate the Disabled Access Credit as 50% of eligible expenditures between $250 and $10,250, for a maximum credit of $5,000. - The FICA Tip Credit is for food and beverage employers for their s...

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 WOTC is a general business credit for hiring individuals from specific targeted groups who face employment barriers. - The credit is calculated as either 25% (for 120-399 hours worked) or 40% (for 400+ hours worked) of qualified first-year wages. - Qualified wages are generally capped at the first $6,000 of earnings, resulting in a m...

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: - Post-2021, §174 R&D costs must be capitalized and amortized over 5 years for domestic research or 15 years for foreign research. - The §41 credit is calculated on Qualified Research Expenses (QREs), such as wages and supplies, but excludes costs like research after commercial production begins. - Claiming the R&D credit requires you to...