IRS Enrolled Agent

Choosing your tax accountant

Here at Hansen Sweeney we know not all tax professionals are created equally. Knowing the differences is key to choosing the best tax accountant to help manage your tax affairs. You may be familiar with ‘CPAs’ or ‘Certified Professional Accountants’. These professionals are licensed only in the state(s) they operate in and are not required to demonstrate their competence in all areas of taxation to the IRS. Registered Tax Return Preparers have even fewer requirements to satisfy and need only pass a minimal competency test.

As the name implies, ‘IRS Enrolled Agents’ must meet more stringent requirements. In fact, Enrolled Agents are known as America’s Tax Experts®.

What does this mean to you? Hansen Sweeney IRS Enrolled Agents have the necessary expertise, built up over many years, and are recognised by the IRS.

The advantages:

• IRS Enrolled Agents are required to understand the complexity of today’s tax code and how it applies to you. They must also understand how ever-changing tax law affects you in the future.
• In addition to stringent testing to initially qualify (including a rigorous background check), IRS Enrolled Agents are mandated to undergo extensive ongoing training every year. This training exceeds the IRS’ requirements.
• IRS Enrolled Agents are required to abide by the provisions and ethical standards of the Department of Treasury’s Circular 230.
• With an IRS Enrolled Agent, you have a limited client privilege under the law and can have confidentiality in certain instances.

In fact, as the requirements are so much more challenging, there are fewer than 50,000 IRS Enrolled Agents in the entire USA (in contrast, the American Institute of CPAs has nearly 400,000 members).

We are IRS-approved Enrolled Agents at Hansen Sweeney and we are ready to show you the difference.

We offer a free initial consultation (on a confidential basis) to fully understand your specific circumstances. Please contact Steve Healy on 020 7523 5383 or e-mail s.healy@hansensweeney.co.uk