Who is Michael D. Meyer, EA

 

My Personal History

I grew up in a small town in southeastern Indiana called Lawrenceburg, graduating from high school in 1978. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1983 with a 5-year degree in Architecture. My 3rd year of college I lived and studied abroad in Rome, Italy – participating in the ND Rome Studies Program for their Architectural students.

I moved to New York City in October of 1985, and married a Jersey Girl, Michele, in September 1987. We recently celebrated 32 years together. We both love New York City – to us the greatest city in the world!

I worked for many decades in Architecture and Construction until the 2008 market crash, when I decided to pursue a second recession-proof career in tax preparation. The work for Architects and Contractors often slows during recessions, so I created a backup career. I retired from Architecture in April 2018, to concentrate all my efforts running my small Tax Practice, and becoming a more experienced Enrolled Agent.


Tax Preparation Professional Development – at H&R Block (2012 to 2017)

I took the H&R Block Income Tax Course in the Fall of 2012 and soon after passed the IRS exam to become a Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) in November 2012. The RTRP was the IRS certified designation offered at that time for tax preparers who were not Enrolled Agents. 

I then worked as a seasonal Tax Professional for H&R Block for four years. I attained the status of Master Tax Advisor within H&R Block, their highest tax professional certification level at that time. 

I was given the privilege to complete well over 700 paid tax returns for H&R Block clients during my four-year tenure with the company as a seasonal tax professional.


Professional Development: Enrolled Agent and NTPI Fellow (2016 to 2018)

I became a licensed IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) in October 2016, and have been a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) since November 2016. I attend the monthly meetings of the Metro Chapter of the New York State Society of Enrolled Agents, of which I am also a member. I am required to complete 30 hours/year of continuing education courses to maintain my EA status with the IRS and the NAEA. Enrolled Agents study the subjects of Professional Ethics, Federal Tax Updates, Federal Tax Law, and Representation Practice Procedures before the IRS, to satisfy their yearly continuing education requirements.

An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a person who has earned the privilege of practicing (that is, representing taxpayers) before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrolled Agents, like Attorneys (JDs) and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can practice before. Enrolled Agents are licensed by the IRS within the U.S. Treasury Department, which is a Federal jurisdiction, which therefore allows an individual EA to practice in all 50 States.

In April 2018 I began the process to become an NTPI Fellow by November 2018, bestowed by the National Tax Practice Institute™ (NTPI). The NTPI Fellow curriculum is managed and administered by the NAEA.

NTPI Fellows are considered the experts in representing taxpayers before the IRS, with Examination, Audit, Collection, Payment Agreement, and Appeals tax matters. NTPI Fellows can legally represent Clients before the IRS, and act as an intermediary on the Client’s behalf, so the Client does not have to deal with or speak with the IRS directly. Only credentialed tax experts, being CPAs, Attorneys, or Enrolled Agents, can become NTPI Fellows. They also perform the same duties representing Clients to the State taxing authorities.

I completed the online NTPI Level 1 courses in late April 2018. I completed the in-person NTPI Level 2 courses at the NAEA National Convention in Las Vegas in early August 2018. I completed the in-person NTPI Level 3 courses in Orlando in early November 2018, at the Fall NAEA gathering.  I was granted the status of NTPI Fellow at the graduation ceremony on November 9th, 2018 – after I completed the NTPI Level 3 courses. I began representing Taxpayers in November, 2018.


Small Tax Practice and TurboTaxLive™ Credentialed Tax Expert (2017-19)

I started my own small tax practice in May 2017. My focus for the next several years is only Individual taxes, and making that process clear for Taxpayers, so they understand every line on their tax return. For the 2018 and 2019 tax seasons, I worked with my existing and new tax clients in our Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City.

I also worked during the 2018/2019 tax seasons with the TurboTax™ tax and accounting software company Intuit, in my capacity as an IRS Enrolled Agent, as one of their remote Credentialed Tax Experts for their new TurboTaxLive™ online tax product. I provided phone and interactive online video Tax Advice and Tax Return Review – for over 1,900 online TurboTax™ Customers – throughout the United States and the World. I have used TurboTax™ for many decades, and began in May 2017 using their ProSeries™ professional tax software for my tax practice clients.


Why “Taxes Are Easy” for me

Since that first H&R Block tax class in 2012, the process of completing a tax return has come very easily for me. The tax laws and how they are expressed on a tax return, just make sense to me. I enjoy immensely helping Individual taxpayers “solve” their yearly tax scenario, whether in person with my own clients, or “virtually” through TurboTaxLive™.

Most adult-age U.S. Citizens, Green Card Holders, and Resident Aliens have a yearly obligation to file a U.S. Individual Income Tax Return to report their financial activity for that tax year, and pay any taxes owed, or collect a refund. To make that process easy, and even enjoyable, is my business purpose. Thank you for allowing me to help make the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” more understandable for your tax scenario.


The name Michael D. Meyer is my official personal name and business name registered with all the divisions of the IRS related to me being an IRS Enrolled Agent. The national and local chapters of the National Association of Enrolled Agents also lists me as Michael D. Meyer.

Most people just refer to me as Mike.

You can email me at Mike@TaxesAreEasy.com


Feel free to send me an email at Mike@TaxesAreEasy.com

Blog Written Content ©2018 Michael D Meyer. All rights reserved.

PDF IRS forms, instructions & publications – ©2018 Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service IRS.gov


Legal Disclaimer: Nothing written or expressed in this Blog shall be construed as legal, accounting, or tax advice. This Blog is for informational purposes only, to inform Individuals about the IRS tax forms required to file an individual tax return, and the instructions that accompany such IRS tax forms.

This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any tax transaction or filing any tax form.