Neither is better or worse, they are both great designations that can provide a lucrative career path and they complement each other very well. 

The better question is, “Which is better for YOU?”

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation is a state-based certification primarily focused on financial accounting and it specifically allows you to audit financial statements. Contrary to popular belief, IRS records show that less than 30% of CPAs provide tax services. 

So, if you’d like a career focused on financial accounting and auditing, the CPA is the way to go!

The Enrolled Agent (EA) designation is the highest designation the federal government bestows on tax professionals.  The IRS recognizes EAs as the “elite” tax professionals. EAs are the only professionals who are required to demonstrate and maintain their competency in tax law, therefore, 100% of active EAs specialize in tax law.

Well trained EAs will be well versed in tax law, and have an understanding of personal financial management, entrepreneurship, and accounting principles.

Enrolled Agents have the same rights with the IRS as CPAs and Attorneys – without the EA being required to spend the time and money associated with traditional education.  EAs can even take their career further and practice in US Tax Court as a non-attorney representative after passing a special exam.

So, if you’d like a career in tax law and consulting, the EA designation is the way to go!

Good question! The short answer is no.

Internships usually last about 1-3 months, are typically a more informal job experience that may be paid or unpaid, and do not require a structured learning plan.

Apprenticeships are guided by the rules of the Dept. of Labor and are designed to ensure measurable professional growth within a specified timeframe.

Apprenticeships require 3 components:

1. Education
2. Sponsorship – administration of the program
3. Employment

Through the academy, we provide education and sponsorship, as well as access to employer partners who will provide the employment.

Apprenticeships typically last 1-3 years, and all apprentices are paid at a minimum rate set by the Sponsor (which is us in this case), with scheduled pay raises based on training accomplishments.

While we wait for the Dept. of Labor (DOL) to approve our program as a registered apprenticeship, we continue to operate under the guidelines, so our trainees and employer partners can get back-dated apprenticeship acknowledgments upon DOL approval.

For the purposes of our program, you must be:

• 18 or older
• Have a PTIN (we will walk you through this process)
• Pass the rigorous 3 part Special Enrollment Exam (aka Enrolled Agent exam)*
• Apply for Enrollment to practice before the IRS
• Pass a suitability check, which includes a background and tax compliance review. 

*The 3-part exam covers: Individual Taxation, Business Taxation, and Representation + Procedure. This exam is held at a third-party testing facility and is administered by the IRS.

Absolutely! 

After the completion of training requirements you’ll be invited to our Spring/Summer graduation event, held in Cincinnati, OH, and streamed online for those who can’t make it.

Because we are an apprenticeship academy, employment is a required aspect of the program. Upon the successful completion of your Explorer Workshop, you will have access to career training and job placement perks.

Once you are employed, you will be able to start our Level 2 apprenticeship program.

Your fee includes:

• Access for one participant
• Access to one Level 1 training session
• 12-month access to Enrolled Agent Exam preparation study materials
• Welcome Kit
• All required training material
• 24/7 Online Access during your training term
• Professionally designed profile listing on our job board
• Apprenticeship support (optional)

Please Note: You may be responsible for other 3rd-party fees, depending on your additional needs. You will be responsible for paying for the Enrolled Agent exam test fees, application, and other related fees. 

Generally speaking, your investment in this training can be a fully tax deductible expense (to you or your employer), assuming you meet certain qualifications, which further increases the value of this training over traditional college programs. 

However, this deductibility will largely depend on your specific circumstances, which you will want to discuss with your tax advisor.

Yes.

Withdrawal requests submitted up to 10-days from your Level 2 training start date (late April/early May) will receive a full refund minus the initial, non-refundable fee. There are no refunds after this 10-day period.

Our refund policy is clearly communicated in our Terms of Training for participants prior to completing registration.

If you don’t plan on starting this training right away but want to sign up, we’d love to have you, but make sure you register for a training term that allows you to dedicate the time needed to complete it. Refunds have firm deadlines and the sequential, limited time, asynchronous nature of the workshop does not support the “go at your own pace” model.

Please DO NOT enroll in training if you just want to “check it out.” We put an extraordinary amount of time and effort into this, and we expect you to do the same. This training is for serious professionals only.

No refunds will be issued until after the start of the training term for which you have registered. No exceptions.