Contact Us : 800.874.5346 International: +1 352.375.0772
J.T. Eagan is an Enrolled Agent with over 15 years of professional tax experience, the first 10 years of which he spent specializing in State and Local tax at one of the Big 4 accounting firms! He was then presented with the opportunity to join Purdue University Northwest by filling the position vacated by a retiring Professor who had been a wonderful mentor to him throughout undergrad. He took it.
J.T. is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Purdue Northwest College of Business, where his role allows him to set up the next generation of accountants for success. That’s our shared passion and a large part of the reason he’s contributing to Gleim Instruct when he’s not busy on campus or helping his clients. We’re ecstatic to have him as one of our EA Gleim Instruct Professors!
We interviewed J.T. to ask him to share the choices and challenges that shaped his career and give him a platform to share his best advice for current and future EAs.
I’ve always wanted to focus on tax from a career perspective. The EA was a great fit because I could accomplish it in a short and cost-effective timeframe.
If your goal is to specialize in tax, earning your EA is the best way to gain expertise and signal that expertise to others. Plus, compared to other accounting certifications, you’ll spend less time and money earning your EA.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to do. Deciding to become an EA comes with it’s own set of challenges. For J.T., the biggest challenge was making time to prepare for the exam.
In today’s busy world with distractions galore, it’s time. I had to find ways to make time, or rather, make better use of my idle time.
When you set out to pass the EA exam, it’s important to take inventory of how much time you have to study and create a study plan that will help you use your time to the fullest. Passing the EA exam isn’t easy, but it will pay off for your career!
My clients recognize the value of being a credentialed tax professional. For me, it promotes confidence being able to look my clients in the eye and tell them “I’ve got your back” because I can represent them before all levels of the IRS. For my clients, that brings them comfort.
It’s truly the community. You would think the world of client tax service is competitive…why would I help a potential competitor? However, I can tell you nearly all of the EA’s I’ve come across are willing to help each other and recognize iron sharpens iron.
When you interact with clients and serve them well, you’ll become their trusted advisor for many things beyond tax. It is truly humbling to have a client ask you to check on their house because they are out of town all because they trust you.”
I’ve had some amazing experiences such as walking the floor of the NYSE, client meetings all over the country from Florida to Alaska, and working with some of the best and brightest in tax while serving all sorts of household name clients.”
Being an Enrolled Agent has benefited J.T.’s career in so many ways, and this is why he’s passionate about promoting the designation and encouraging others to pursue their EAs too.
How do you differentiate yourself from other candidates in the stack of resumes at an employer? For my students it has been the fact that they are already credentialed and can represent clients before the IRS. That’s very powerful. I would echo the same for experienced professionals: are you missing an opportunity to serve your clients (and generate additional revenue)?
I would run flash cards or take practice questions whenever possible. Get a support team behind you. If it wasn’t for my wife running questions with me and encouraging me, I don’t think I’d be here today. Thanks Elyse!”
J.T. encourages both novice and seasoned professionals to get involved with accounting organizations that will benefit their careers.
He’s a member of these national and local professional organizations:
The ISEA in particular has been an amazingly supportive group. I’d be remiss if I didn’t specifically recognize Rick and Linda Comingore whom have been wonderful mentors and encouraging supporters for me personally.
J.T. is also a member of these organizations for accounting and taxation academics:
The ATA specifically has been amazing. I’ve met so many great folks and it has opened the door for a lot of opportunities.
For students and young professionals looking to gain experience in the tax field, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a great way to bolster your resume and get hands-on experience. Check out this webinar that J.T. hosted on VITA and the EA.
You don’t buy a new car and keep it in the garage. Celebrate your achievement! Make sure your clients and the public hear all the ways you can help them now well beyond tax return preparation.
After you become an EA, you should advertise your increased representation rights as widely as possible. Here are some of the ways J.T. suggests promoting yourself:
You’ve put in all the work to earn your EA–make the most of it! Becoming an EA puts you on a great path to continue growing and developing professionally.
I promise you the time you invest now will be worth it. Your career potential is about to explode!
EAs should prioritize developing skills that help them in their roles as tax professionals. To J.T. that means focusing on TECHNOLOGY—J.T. wants to put a big emphasis on this. These are the top skills he says will be very valuable to tax professionals:
I think there is more regulation on the horizon for tax professionals. Those without a credential could be challenged and should consider getting an EA now to get in front of the trend.
There are several reasons to become an EA now, and one of the biggest is to get ahead of the crowd. As more regulatory laws go into place, more tax professionals will be seeking their EA to increase their representation rights. You can get ahead by starting your studies now!
Get more of J.T.’s expertise and guidance in our Premium EA course video lectures. J.T. used Gleim to pass his EA exam, and we’re so excited that he’s joined our team to help others do the same!
