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Finance Exam Prep

Finance Exam Prep

By: Ran Chen EA CFP®
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 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/Copyright 2026 Ran Chen, EA, CFP® Career Success Economics Education
Episodes
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 05, Partnership Formation — §721 Nonrecognition

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 05, Partnership Formation — §721 Nonrecognition
    May 2 2026
    This 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: - That under §721, neither the partner nor the partnership generally recognizes a gain or loss on the contribution of property for a partnership interest. - How a partner's initial basis is determined by the adjusted basis of the property they contribute, not its fair market value. - How liabilities assumed by the partnership reduce a partner's outside basis by the net amount of debt relief. - The critical exception where a partner must recognize capital gain if the net liability relief exceeds their contributed property's basis. - That contributing services for a partnership interest is a taxable event resulting in ordinary income, as §721 only applies to property. 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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    4 mins
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 04, Hobby vs Business — Activity for Profit Test

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 04, Hobby vs Business — Activity for Profit Test
    May 1 2026
    This 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 IRS uses a nine-factor test under §183 to determine if an activity is a business or a hobby. - An activity is presumed to be for-profit if it shows a profit in at least 3 of the last 5 consecutive years. - The profit motive presumption for horse-related activities is 2 profitable years out of the last 7 years. - Hobby income is reported on Schedule 1, but related expenses are non-deductible for individuals through 2025 due to TCJA. - Meeting the profit presumption shifts the burden of proof to the IRS but does not guarantee business classification. 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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    3 mins
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 03, Schedule C — Common Deductible Expenses

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 03, Schedule C — Common Deductible Expenses
    Apr 30 2026
    This 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 two-part "ordinary and necessary" test required for all Schedule C deductions. - How to distinguish between deductible employee wages and non-deductible draws for a sole proprietor. - The crucial difference between deducting contract labor versus wages and the associated tax forms. - Why self-employed health insurance premiums are not deducted on Schedule C, a common exam trap. - The importance of documentation and the rule against deducting the personal-use portion of expenses. 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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    4 mins
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