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

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

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 Submissions containing ACH direct debit payment requests with the Financial Transaction schema will not be withdrawn from taxpayer’s accounts until 11/13/2026.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.“

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.

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.

To watch the recording of the SPEC Partner and Employee Zoom Session from October 6th, click HERE.

UPDATE FROM SC DOR (10/8): SCDOR is BACK IN BUSINESS!           

Our issue with retrieving returns from IRS was resolved around 4 pm ET on Wednesday, October 7^th.   Major dent has been made in the backlog and hoping that all acks will be sent by end of day Friday, October 9^th if not sooner.

Please pass this update along to your customer service personnel.   We apologize for the inconvenience.

Vendors received the below messaging from South Carolina DOR this morning. The below means that transmitted SC returns will not receive an ack until this is resolved.

A deployment is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, September 16th to release the below update(s). Access to the program may be limited during a deployment.

MICHIGAN

• Add direct deposit for MI Amended Return Type (Update)

MINNESOTA

• Amended return generating payment voucher when return type is direct debit (Issue 4045)

NEW YORK

• NY EITC not calculating when Fed is MFS but qualifies for EITC (Issue 4141)

STATE RETURNS

• State PDF Attachment pages missing the “drag and drop” boxes (Issue 4145)