EAs serve to represent, advise, and prepare tax returns for corporations, individuals or any other entity with tax reporting needs. For most taxpayers having issues with the IRS, the first inclination would be to hire a CPA or tax attorney. It’s understandable. To say the truth though, an enrolled agent handles tax issues better and charges you way less than what most of these other professionals do.

Enrolled agents specialize in tax laws, requirements, and tax codes. To the IRS, they are usually the only federally-authorized tax professionals and as you imagined, they have the cost-effective means to resolve your tax problems.

Even with that being so, selecting an enrolled agent is quite tricky. Yes, there are options but not all will be a suitable fit for your case. So, as you vet IRS enrolled agents, here are some points you need to keep in mind.

Qualifications

To be a federally licensed tax professional, the EA needs to pass tax compliance checks, pass the Special Enrolment Examination, and obtain a Preparer Tax Identification Number. So, before you proceed to hire one, ensure that they have the credentials to support your case. Besides checking their credentials, look for prior disciplinary actions. Having a look at their license status for their credentialed documents can also give you an idea of the kind of work ethic the EA holds.

Firmness

It’s best to hire an IRS enrolled agent who stands up to the IRS. To know if an individual possesses firmness, do some vetting first. It makes a great impact during your search for an IRS enrolled agent. Also, word of mouth provides significant insights. It also greatly reduces your search time and saves you money moving from one location to another.

Compassionate

Your EA will, in part, serve as an educator. This, however, doesn’t mean that the enrolled agent needs to lecture you. An ideal agent understands that clients fall for simple and common IRS traps and guides them back to the right path. To find out if an enrolled agent in the UK is empathetic with their clients, try holding a phone-based consultation.

Get a Professional UK IRS Enrolled Agent

When it comes to tax matters, don’t underestimate EAs. Most people don’t know about them until a tax issue arises. But since you now know about them, be wise and seek advice from tax professionals from today.