EA OR CPA Whats the best in your opinion?

[Kylie A.]

I've never hired an EA or CPA before and need advice on vetting them to avoid being taken advantage of. I feel capable of handling my accounting in general, but I primarily need help with taxes for my real estate and small investments. I want the best professional who can save me the most money, someone who’s real and honest and doesn’t use too many big words. I’m a huge fan of keeping things simple since it takes me longer to understand complex topics, especially taxes. What should I watch out for, and is there a significant advantage to choosing an EA over a CPA?

[Joshua Thompson]

There is a GREAT post regarding that here. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/1215989-expla...

At the end of the day the EA and CPA are interchangeable in the tax field, the most important thing is they understand real estate and it's tax implications. I've met some VERY smart CPA's with 3-4 years in the business and I've met some "not so smart" CPA's with 20+ years.