Finance Exam Prep

Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

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Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 04, Hobby vs Business — Activity for Profit Test

5/1/2026 • 3 min

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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