Old Dog, New Trick

It’s been a long time since my studying and test taking days.  I graduated college 15 years ago, and over the next few years I completed various industry exams, culminating in my Certified Financial Planner® courses and exam, but even that was 11 years ago now.

So, what has me cracking open a book – yes, I much prefer a physical book to an online class – and preparing for an exam?  Over the years we have been getting more and more tax-related questions.  This makes sense, since no one likes paying taxes and, if we think of it as an expense, for most people it is their single biggest outflow.  While I’ve picked up a lot of tax knowledge over the years, including from my CPA father, I thought it was time to get some formal training in taxes.  So, I’m working on becoming an IRS enrolled agent, a process which involves three exams.

I’ve actually had the books for quite a while now, but there’s always something urgent or important going on, so finding the time to study has been hard.  There’s nothing like a deadline to stay motivated, so I signed up for my first exam.  I’m starting with the business tax exam, expecting it to be hardest for me, in the hope that it only gets easier from here.  We’ll find out if this old dog can learn some new tricks.  Wish me luck!