“There are three types of accountants. First, there are bookkeepers who have little or no formal training in accounting. Second, there are enrolled agents who have passed the EA exam and are licensed by the IRS. Finally, there are Certified Public Accountants (CPA’s) that have an accounting degree, have passed the CPA exam, and have at least two years of experience in their field.”

Granted that there are bookkeepers with little or no formal training in accounting. Enrolled agents are not necessarily accountants – they are tax preparers who have passed an extensive test in taxation and can represent a client before the IRS. The only other alternative is not a CPA. There are many, many highly trained and experienced accounting practitioners who choose not be go through the process of certification. All Public Accountants are not certified, and many are licensed by the state. As a general rule, over my 35 years as a practicing accountant (non certified and non licences) and tax professional (not an EA) I have found that with a CPA you pay twice the price for half the service! I have found more errors on 1040s prepared by CPAs than I have on self-prepared returns.

THE WANDERING TAX PRO