Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 1] 99, Form 1040 Review and Common Errors

Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 1] 99, Form 1040 Review and Common Errors

From Finance Exam Prep by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

April 24, 2026 · 3 min

About this episode

In this episode, Ran Chen discusses key aspects of the Enrolled Agent Exam, focusing on Form 1040 and common errors in tax filing.

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 determine the most advantageous filing status between Qualifying Widow(er) and Head of Household. • The rule for correctly applying multiple additional standard deduction amounts for age and blindness. • Why an unsigned tax return is considered invalid and how this impacts the official filing date. • How the exam tests credit eligibility rules, like the investment income limit for the EITC, over complex math. • When common forms like Schedule B are required based on specific income thresholds. 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

People in this episode

Host: Ran Chen

Topics covered

  • tax filing status
  • standard deduction
  • tax return validity
  • EITC eligibility
  • Schedule B requirements

Keywords

  • Enrolled Agent Exam
  • Form 1040
  • tax filing status
  • standard deduction
  • EITC
  • Schedule B
  • tax return validity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Open Exam Prep, Youtube Channel

Products: Form 1040

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