VITA/TCE Live Blog

2026 Practice Lab: Known Issues

Craig Smith — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:30:09 +0000

With the release of a new application year (2026), some oddities and functionality issues may occur. Below are items that have been identified and reported to our development team. This will be a fluid blog post of known functionality issues within the 2026 Practice Lab. NOTE: You will see various 2025 forms and calculations still used which is normal this time of year as tax changes/updates are ongoing.

Various alignment issues on the 1040 View pages
Medicare Premium input field is right-aligned on page for SP entry

Intake& Interview and Quality Review Training October 22, 2026

Craig Smith — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:22:15 +0000

To provide consistent guidance and reinforce the importance of the three essential processes—Intake, Interview, and Quality Review—the IRS Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) Quality Program Office (QPO) hosted its annual Intake/Interview and Quality Review Training via Zoom on October 20, 21, and 22, 2026. The training was recorded to ensure that all SPEC employees, partners, and volunteers, including those unable to attend the live training, have access to this important information. All employees, partners, and volunteers are encouraged to view the recording to strengthen their understanding of the procedures, requirements, and best practices that support the preparation of complete and accurate tax returns. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Field Support & Analysis (FS&A) Analyst. SPEC will work to address your concerns, provide clarification, and ensure you have the guidance needed for a successful filing season. Thank you for your continued commitment to quality, accuracy, and excellence in serving taxpayers through the VITA/TCE Program.

To view the recording, please CLICK HERE.

2026 Practice Lab Now Available – Nov. 4th

Craig Smith — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:29 +0000

Practice Lab 2026 is now live! Please keep in mind that the Practice Lab will be updated twice a week as we receive finalized forms and instructions from the IRS. With that, we ask volunteers to not report calculation issues to support. We also ask to not report forms where the PDF may still display 2025 instead of 2026.

With the Practice Lab 2026 release, you will have access to PL 2026 and PL 2025.

When you log in to your Production Sites, you will see the following TaxSlayer 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. You do not have the ability to create new returns in 2026, but you can still prepare returns in all of the available prior years. You will be able to electronically file 2025, 2024 and 2023 until the IRS shuts down their MeF system on December 26th.

States will not be available in Practice Lab 2026 until closer to the filing season in early January. You can use PL 2025 to have your volunteers train or practice with state returns.

FY27 TCE Grant Recipient Orientation Recording

Craig Smith — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:49:53 +0000

Included HERE is the FY27 TCE Grant Recipient Orientation Recording Zip File and below are the details.

Title: FY27 TCE Grant Recipient Orientation

Overview: This session is to provide 2027 grant recipients with key information to accept the TCE award.
Topics to be covered:
- Provide information and guidance on how to prepare the documentation to accept the TCE grant award
- Describe grant management expectations
- List resources to assist with a successful grant period

Speakers:

David Eckert, Chief, Grant Program Office
Moriam Sholesi, Senior Analyst, Grant Program Office

FY27 VITA Grant Recipient Orientation Recording

Craig Smith — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:48:52 +0000

Included HERE is the FY27 VITA Grant Recipient Orientation Recording Zip File and below are the details.

Title: FY27 VITA Grant Recipient Orientation

Overview: This session is to provide 2027 grant recipients with key information to accept the VITA award.
Topics to be covered:
- Provide information and guidance on how to prepare the documentation to accept the VITA grant award
- Describe grant management expectations
- List resources to assist with a successful grant period

Speakers:

David Eckert, Chief, Grant Program Office
Moriam Sholesi, Senior Analyst, Grant Program Office

Message From Michigan: MeF Systems Update

Craig Smith — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:43:54 +0000

Software vendors received the below message from Michigan Treasury.

“MeF Processing Systems Updates

Michigan will be transitioning additional tax types over to a new vendor from 10/30/2026 to 11/12/2026. As a result, there will be impact to you and your customers.

Impacted tax types: Michigan Business Tax (MBT), Corporate Income Tax (CIT), Essential Services Assessment (ESA), and City Corporate, Individual (including city) and Fiduciary Income Tax.

MeF MBT, CIT, ESA and City Corp tax submissions will last be retrieved from the IRS MeF system on 10/30/2026 at 5:00 PM, with acknowledgments made available by 11:59 PM. Submissions sent after 10/30/2026 at 5:00 PM will not be retrieved until 11/12/2026 at 7:00 AM when the new systems come online. Submissions containing ACH direct debit payment requests with the Financial Transaction schema will not be withdrawn from taxpayer’s accounts until 11/13/2026. No additional penalty or interest will be charged on these payments.

MeF IIT (including city) and Fiduciary tax submissions will last be retrieved from the IRS MeF system on 11/4/2026 at 6:00 PM, with acknowledgments made available by 11:59 PM. Submissions sent after 11/4/2026 at 6:00 PM will not be retrieved until 11/12/2026 at 7:00 AM when the new systems come online. Submissions containing ACH direct debit payment requests with the Financial Transaction schema will not be withdrawn from taxpayer’s accounts until 11/13/2026. No additional penalty or interest will be charged on these payments.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your customers and thank you for your continued patience during this transition period.“

TaxSlayer Pro Online 2026: What To Expect

Kim Manuel — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:15:25 +0000

We will begin the process of rolling out TaxSlayer Pro Online 2026 the week of November 2nd. This is a very fluid process, but our goal is to keep your disruption of services to a minimum.

What can you expect once we roll out TaxSlayer Pro Online 2026?

The Practice Lab will support 2026 and 2025
Your Production site will default to 2026, but you will not be able to “Start A New Return” until a yet to be determined date in January, 2027.
You can still prepare 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 returns
You can still e-file 2025, 2024, and 2023 returns until the IRS cut-over (December 26, 2026)
You will NO longer have access to 2020 returns or reports

Reminder for TaxSlayer 2020: Scheduled to roll off the prior year list in early November

Kim Manuel — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:00:29 +0000

Reminder: TaxSlayer 2020 will no longer be available when we roll out our early release of TaxSlayer 2026. Our tentative date is the first week of November, but we strongly recommend you finish up any outstanding work or reports by October 31st, 2026.

What does this mean? You will no longer have access to 2020 returns or 2020 reports.

TaxSlayer FSA Kiosk Access Will Expire on November 2nd

Craig Smith — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:30:08 +0000

The FSA (Facilitated Self Assistance) Kiosk URL’s issued for TY2025 will expire on November 2nd. Existing links will no longer offer free tax prep to the taxpayers nor offer access to prior year applications. As we begin receiving new orders for TY2026, new URL’s will be generated based on the order received from the IRS and emailed to the volunteer site contact in mid-January 2027.

Pro Online: Unable To Access Site [RESOLVED]

Craig Smith — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:44:28 +0000

1:40pm ET – All issues have been resolved at this time, including access to opening/editing tax returns.

1:28pm ET – Our team is continuing to investigate issues keeping you from accessing tax returns.

1:04pm ET – Access to Pro Online has been restored, however, we are still looking into issues accessing a tax return.

12:43pm ET – We are aware sites are having issues accessing TaxSlayer Pro Online and are actively investigating. Updates will be provided on this post as they become available.