Episodes

  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 50, Involuntary Conversions — §1033 Deferral

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 50, Involuntary Conversions — §1033 Deferral
    Jun 16 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: - How to calculate realized gain, recognized gain, and deferred gain in a §1033 transaction. - The critical tax impact of failing to reinvest the full amount of proceeds received. - The specific replacement periods: two years for most casualties and three years for condemned business real property. - The difference between the strict "similar use" test and the more lenient "like-kind" standard. - How to calculate the basis of the new replacement property after deferring a gain. 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] 49, Like-Kind Exchanges — §1031 (Real Property Only)

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 49, Like-Kind Exchanges — §1031 (Real Property Only)
    Jun 15 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 post-TCJA rule restricting §1031 exchanges exclusively to real property held for business or investment. - The non-negotiable 45-day identification period and 180-day exchange period for deferred exchanges. - How to calculate the recognized gain, which is the lesser of the boot received or the realized gain. - The correct formula for determining the basis of the new replacement property by subtracting the deferred gain from its fair market value. - The mandatory role of a qualified intermediary in holding sale proceeds to avoid constructive receipt. 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] 48, Section 1231 — Sale of Business Property

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 48, Section 1231 — Sale of Business Property
    Jun 14 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 net Section 1231 gains are treated as long-term capital gains, while net losses are treated as fully deductible ordinary losses. - How to correctly net gains and losses from the sale of multiple Section 1231 properties to determine the final tax character. - The function of the five-year lookback rule, which recharacterizes current Section 1231 gains as ordinary income to the extent of unrecaptured Section 1231 losses from the prior five years. - That property must be used in a trade or business and held for more than one year to qualify for Section 1231 treatment. - That depreciation recapture under Sections 1245 and 1250 must be calculated *before* determining the amount of a Section 1231 gain. 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] 47, Section 1250 Depreciation Recapture

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 47, Section 1250 Depreciation Recapture
    Jun 13 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 key difference between Section 1250 recapture for real property and Section 1245 recapture for personal property. - Why ordinary income recapture on Section 1250 assets is rare for property placed in service after 1986. - How to calculate unrecaptured Section 1250 gain, which is the lesser of total gain or accumulated straight-line depreciation. - That unrecaptured Section 1250 gain is taxed at a special maximum rate of 25%. - That gains and losses from the sale of business real property are reported on Form 4797. 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] 46, Section 1245 Depreciation Recapture

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 46, Section 1245 Depreciation Recapture
    Jun 12 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: - Section 1245 recaptures depreciation on personal property as ordinary income. - The recapture amount is the lesser of the gain realized or the total depreciation taken. - Any gain exceeding the recaptured amount is typically treated as a Section 1231 gain. - Section 1245 applies to assets like equipment and vehicles, not buildings (which are Section 1250). - All transactions involving Section 1245 property are reported on Form 4797. 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] 45, Alternative Depreciation System (ADS)

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 45, Alternative Depreciation System (ADS)
    Jun 11 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: - When the Alternative Depreciation System (ADS) is mandatory for property such as foreign use and tax-exempt use property. - The consequences of a real property trade or business electing out of the Section 163(j) interest limitation. - How ADS utilizes the straight-line method over longer recovery periods compared to the General Depreciation System (GDS). - The rule that property depreciated under ADS is ineligible for bonus depreciation, a common exam trap. - The binding and irrevocable nature of an election to use ADS for a specific class of property for a given tax year. 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] 44, Listed Property — Vehicles and Computers

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 44, Listed Property — Vehicles and Computers
    Jun 10 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: - Listed property like vehicles and computers requires strict, contemporaneous written records to substantiate business use. - To claim accelerated depreciation (MACRS, Section 179), business use must exceed 50% in the year the asset is placed in service. - If business use is 50% or less, you are restricted to the slower straight-line method under the Alternative Depreciation System (ADS). - Depreciation recapture is required if business use drops to 50% or less in a subsequent year, treating the excess depreciation taken as ordinary income. - Annual depreciation on passenger automobiles is capped by the luxury auto limits under IRC §280F, regardless of the vehicle's cost or business-use percentage. 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] 43, Section 179 Expensing — Limits

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 43, Section 179 Expensing — Limits
    Jun 9 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 primary limitations on the Section 179 deduction: the overall investment limit and the business taxable income limit. - How to calculate the reduction in the maximum Section 179 expense when total asset purchases exceed the phase-out threshold. - That the deduction is ultimately capped by the business's taxable income for the year, a common exam trap. - Any amount disallowed due to the taxable income limitation can be carried forward to subsequent tax years indefinitely. - Which types of real property improvements, such as HVAC and roofs, qualify for the Section 179 expense election. 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