Scenario: An existing TaxSlayer Pro Online site from 2024 or a prior year now has a new Site Admin for 2025.

Question: How does the new site admin gain access to the site if they do not already have a login?

Solution: Send an email to TaxSlayer VITA/TCE Support ([email protected]) with the following information and subject line:

Subject Line: New Site Admin

Body: I am the new site admin for the following site and need the link sent that allows me to create my admin credentials.

EFIN: {Enter six digit EFIN}

SIDN: {Enter SIDN associated with the site}

Site Name: {Enter Site Name}

Site Admin Name: {Enter your name as the new site administrator}

Site Admin Phone: {Enter your phone number)

Site Admin Email: {this is the email address the link will be sent to}

Important Dates

• Early January:  We are releasing states as we receive final approvals
• January 12th:  Start New Return is available at your site
• Week of January 12th:  Email 2025 VITA Kiosk URLs who have submitted required support information
• Controlled Launch:  Date and time to be determined.  This allows us to send a few e-files through the system.
• E-file Opens:  January 26th at approximately 11:00am EST.

If your site is no longer active, please reach out to your SPEC relationship Manager to ensure that your order has been placed with the IRS.  There may be outstanding questions and/or paperwork needed.

1/20/26 – All states are open.

We have released the first version of the following states. This list will be updated as additional states become available.

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Missouri
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Are tax calculations in the states finalized?

• No, this is an early version of states. As we receive finalized tax law and e-file changes from the states, we will be updating the state software. This will be a continual and ongoing process through early to mid January (which is typical of any tax year).

Are state prints finalized?

• No. As we received approved prints for the state forms, we will remove the “Do not Mail” watermark.

My state is not on the list, when will it be available?

• We will continue to post states as we receive approvals and/or communications from the states.

This post will no longer be updated as of 1/6/26. Please refer to the “What We Know” post instead – Available HERE.

With the release of a new application year (2025), 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 2025 Practice Lab. NOTE: You will see various 2024 forms and calculations still used which is normal this time of year as tax changes/updates are ongoing.

• Qualified Tips Not Carried to Line 4a and 4b of the Schedule 1-A (Issue 3553)
• No input for entering a value to carry to Line 4c of Schedule 1-A
• 1040 View, Schedule 1, Lines 14-19a are misaligned

Scenario:  Complete a 2025 return in the Practice Lab and Click Save & Exit without selecting “Mark Return Complete”

The following red error will appear  “Before you can save the submission page, you must save the fee summary checkpoint”

Reason:  This is a residual error from removing the “Fees” page from e-file if there are not fees established

Work Around:  Select “Your office” from the left navigation bar to exit the return.

Note:  Once you get the error on a return, you will continue to get the error.

The 2025 OnDemand Return Preparation Parts I & II webinars for the 2026 Filing Season are now available. A direct link is available below and is also accessible under Section 6 in the Practice Lab.

• Return Preparation I – Click Here
• Return Preparation II – Click Here

The 2025 Enhancement Webinar (2026 Filing Season) will also be OnDemand this year and available mid-December.

Practice Lab 2025 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 2024 instead of 2025.

With the Practice Lab 2025 release, you will have access to PL 2025 and PL 2024.

When you log in to your Production Sites, you will see the following TaxSlayer 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020. You do not have the ability to create new returns in 2025, but you can still prepare returns in all of the available prior years. You will be able to electronically file 2024, 2023 and 2022 until the IRS shuts down their MeF system (Date TBD).

States will not be available in Practice Lab 2025 until closer to the filing season in either late December or early January. You can use PL 2024 to have your volunteers train or practice with state returns.

We will begin the process of rolling out TaxSlayer Pro Online 2025 the week of November 3rd.  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 2025?

1.  The Practice Lab will support 2025 and 2024
2. Your Production site will default to 2025, but you will not be able to “Start A New Return” until a yet to be determined date in January, 2026.
3. You can still prepare 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 returns
4. You can still e-file 2024, 2023, and 2022 returns until the IRS cut-over (Date to be determined by the IRS)
5. You will NO longer have access to 2019 returns or reports