What is an EA?

EA stands for “Enrolled Agent”, which is a designation administered by the Internal Revenue Service.  Being an EA allows Ms. Mauldin to represent clients before the IRS and sign tax returns just like an attorney or a CPA.

What's the difference between an EA and a CPA?

A Certified Public Accountant is licensed by the state in which the exam took place.  The CPA exam in Texas is a four-part exam covering Taxation, Internal Audit, Governmental Accounting, and Ethics.  An Enrolled Agent is licensed by the Internal Revenue Service, which is a federal designation, not a state designation.  The EA exam is also a four-part exam covering Individual Taxation, Corporate Taxation, Partnership Taxation and Ethics.

Why aren't you a CPA?

While certainly an attainable certification, the CPA only partially interested me.  Only half of the exam covered topics that I wanted to focus on.  However, the EA exam entirely covered topics that interested me.  I knew I wanted to work with small business owners and individuals so I felt the EA exam better qualified me to reach my goals to help service the clients of Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping.

Does the EA have Continuing Education requirements like a CPA?

Oh yes!  EA's have a hefty amount of continuing education to obtain yearly and report those to the Internal Revenue Service.  It is important that our clients at Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping are being advised on the most current and up-to-date information regarding tax and accounting laws and through continuing education, we can do just that.

What's so great about QuickBooks?

QuickBooks is a very user-friendly software that is adaptable to many industries and can grow with any business.  It is very affordable.  See my personal QuickBooks ProAdvisor website for more details.

How do I know what version of QuickBooks to buy?

Working with a ProAdvisor is a good way to determine which version of QuickBooks best fits you or your company's needs.  ProAdvisors are educated on each version of QuickBooks software and can help determine which is best for your business to avoid “over-buying” software that is unnecessary and expensive.

Why should I choose to work with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor?

ProAdvisors make a choice to provide their clients with the best service.  This is done by undergoing extensive exams and testing of their knowledge so that the ProAdvisor can best train and advise clients on how to best use QuickBooks in their business.

How do I know Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping is the best fit for me and my business?

You don't know until we talk!  I am happy to provide you with a 30-minute free consultation to determine if Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping is a good fit for you.  Our goal is to help our clients through customer friendly tax and financial services.