Podcast
Finance Exam Prep
Hosted by Ran Chen, EA, CFP® · EN
Finance Exam Prep is a daily podcast designed to help future tax and finance professionals pass their certification and licensing exams with clarity and confidence.
Built and operated by OpenExamPrep, this podcast breaks down major tax exams into focused, easy-to-digest episodes covering the CPA & Enrolled Agent (EA) Exam, including Part 1 (Individuals), Part 2 (Businesses), and Part 3 (Representation, Practices, and Procedures). Each episode targets one key tax concept, common exam trap, or high-frequency test topic—making it ideal for studying during commutes, workouts, or short study sessions.
Created by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®, a financial professional and exam specialist who has personally passed multiple professional licensing exams, Tax Exam Prep was developed from firsthand experience with how complex—and often poorly explained—tax exam material can be. The goal is simple: make tax exam preparation clearer, more accessible, and more effective through structured explanations and modern learning tools. Whether you’re preparing for the EA Exam, transitioning into a tax career, or reviewing before test day, this podcast is designed to guide you step by step—one concept at a time.
Free practice tools, AI-powered explanations, and additional exam prep resources are available at: https://open-exam-prep.com/
93episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 66, QBI Phase-out and SSTB Limitations
Jul 200:03:46Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The definition of a Specified Service Trade or Business (SSTB) for the QBI deduction. - The specific 2025 taxable income thresholds that trigger the QBI phase-out rules. - How to calculate the proportional phase-out of the QBI deduction for an SSTB within the income limitation range. - The key difference in how limitations apply to SSTBs versus non-SSTBs once income exceeds the initial threshold. - Why the SSTB QBI deduction is completely disallowed once taxable income surpasses the top of the phase-out range. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 65, Section 199A QBI Deduction Overview
Jul 100:03:44Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The QBI deduction offers up to a 20% deduction on income from pass-through entities like sole proprietorships, S-corps, and partnerships. - For 2024, the deduction is simplest for taxpayers with taxable income below $191,950 (Single) or $383,900 (Married Filing Jointly). - Above these income thresholds, the deduction for Specified Service Trades or Businesses (SSTBs) like law and accounting is phased out and eventually eliminated. - For non-SSTBs above the income thresholds, the deduction is limited by a formula based on W-2 wages and the unadjusted basis of business property. - A final overall limit applies: the QBI deduction cannot exceed 20% of taxable income minus net capital gains, a common exam trap. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 64, Excess Business Losses — §461(l)
Jun 3000:03:48Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to calculate an excess business loss using the inflation-adjusted thresholds for different filing statuses. - That any disallowed excess business loss is treated as a Net Operating Loss (NOL) carryforward to subsequent tax years. - The critical ordering rule: basis, at-risk, and passive activity loss limitations must be applied before the §461(l) limitation. - Why you must aggregate all trade or business income and losses before comparing the net amount to the annual threshold. - How the excess business loss limitation applies only to noncorporate taxpayers and is calculated on Form 461. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 63, Net Operating Loss (NOL) — Carryforward Rules
Jun 2900:03:14Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Post-2017 Net Operating Losses (NOLs) have an indefinite carryforward period but generally cannot be carried back. - The deduction for post-2017 NOLs is limited to 80% of the taxable income in the carryover year, calculated before the NOL deduction itself. - Pre-2018 NOLs follow older rules: a 2-year carryback and a 20-year carryforward, with the ability to offset 100% of taxable income. - Specific exceptions exist, such as a 2-year carryback for certain farming losses, which are common exam trick questions. - Use the mnemonic "After '17, NOLs go on for infinity, but they're only eighty percent mighty" to remember the indefinite carryforward and 80% limitation for post-2017 NOLs. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 62, Home Office — Simplified vs Actual Method
Jun 2800:03:51Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The simplified home office deduction is calculated at $5 per square foot, with a maximum of 300 square feet, capping the deduction at $1,500. - The actual method requires calculating the business-use percentage of the home to deduct a pro-rata share of indirect expenses like mortgage interest, utilities, and depreciation. - A taxpayer can choose between the simplified and actual methods each year, as it is an annual election. - Unused home office deductions due to income limitations can only be carried forward to future years under the actual method; there is no carryover with the simplified method. - A key exam topic is depreciation recapture upon the sale of the home, which only applies when the actual method was used, as the simplified method does not involve a depreciation deduction. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 61, Home Office Deduction — Exclusive and Regular Use
Jun 2700:02:42Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Home Office Deduction requires passing both the "regular use" and strict "exclusive use" tests. - To qualify, the home office must be the principal place of business, a location for meeting clients, or a separate, unattached structure. - The exclusive use test is waived for licensed daycare providers and for the regular use of a space for storing inventory or product samples. - Under §280A, the deduction is limited by the gross income from the business and cannot create or increase a net loss. - Any disallowed home office deduction due to income limitations can be carried forward to subsequent tax years.
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 60, Vehicle Expenses — Standard Mileage vs Actual
Jun 2600:03:33Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The standard mileage rate offers simplicity, while the actual expense method requires detailed record-keeping of costs like gas, insurance, and depreciation. - The first-year choice is critical: using the standard mileage rate initially allows you to switch to the actual method later, but choosing the actual method first (with accelerated depreciation) prevents you from ever using the standard rate for that car. - For leased vehicles, choosing the standard mileage rate in the first year locks you into that method for the entire lease term. - Parking fees and tolls for business travel are deductible under both the standard and actual methods, which is a common exam trap. - A contemporaneous mileage log is mandatory for both methods; without it, the IRS can disallow the deduction. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 59, Meals — 50% vs 100% Deductible
Jun 2500:04:04Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The default business meal deduction is 50%, a common starting point for exam questions. - Meals for company-wide employee events, like holiday parties, are an exception and are 100% deductible. - Food provided to the general public for promotional purposes is fully deductible. - Meals tied to entertainment are non-deductible unless the meal cost is stated separately on the invoice. - Use the mnemonic 'Parties, Public, and Prizes' to quickly recall the primary 100% deductible meal categories. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 58, Travel Expenses — Tax Home and Away from Home
Jun 2400:03:21Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Your 'tax home' is defined as your main place of business, which may be different from your family's residence. - Travel expenses are only deductible if you are 'away from home' long enough to require sleep or rest. - A work assignment is considered temporary, allowing for deductible travel expenses, if it is realistically expected to last one year or less. - If a temporary job is extended to last more than one year, it becomes an indefinite assignment, and the location becomes your new tax home from the moment the expectation changes. - Deductible travel costs include transportation and lodging, but meal expenses are generally limited to a 50% deduction. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
Transcribe →Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 57, Change of Accounting Method — Form 3115
Jun 2300:03:14Tap to summarizeThis podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - When a taxpayer must file Form 3115 to request a change in accounting method. - How to calculate the Section 481(a) adjustment to prevent duplication or omission of income. - The timing difference for recognizing positive (4-year spread) versus negative (1-year deduction) adjustments. - The distinction between automatic and non-automatic consent procedures for accounting method changes. - How to differentiate a change in method from a correction of an error, which requires an amended return. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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