Principals' Profile

Dennis P. Metz, EA

DennisheadshotforwebsiteI opened my tax and accounting practice in Dallas in 1986, after spending several years working as an accountant with the Federal Government, and began preparing tax returns and doing bookkeeping immediately. In 1991, I obtained my Enrolled Agent certification from the US Treasury Department, and have maintained that license since then. I grew to specialize in involved tax situations and IRS negotiations.

In 2014, I divested my practice in Dallas and moved to the mountains of southern New Mexico, near Ruidoso and Capitan. While semi-retiring, I am remaining available to help clients with their income tax needs, from preparation through the 'nastiest' IRS issues.

What's an EA, you ask? It's shorthand for Enrolled Agent, a designation governed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Basically, it's a federal tax specialty license, and is limited to those who have passed a painful and extremely detailed exam. By way of comparison, the CPA is a state license authorizing an individual to practice accounting, tax, and auditing in a given state. Many CPAs engage in tax practice, but many more of them work for large and small companies as accountants dealing with internal matters. In contrast, the EA certification is strictly related to income tax law. The CPA examination is a two-day affair covering a multitude of accounting regimens; the tax portion is part of one-half day. On the other hand, the EA exam is also a two-day affair, but it is concerned only with tax law, practice, and ethics. There are only about 30,000 Enrolled Agents in the U.S.

For more information regarding Enrolled Agents, you're welcome to log on the National Association of Enrolled Agents website, www.NAEA.org.