We will be turning on the Start New Return feature on Tuesday, January 15th after 10:00 am EST

What returns should I complete at my site?

We strongly recommend that you only complete production returns in your site (actual taxpayer returns).  The Practice Lab is a Super Site in the same production environment.  If you need to conduct training or just try out a scenario, you should continue to utilize the Practice Lab.

Have all forms been finalized?

No.  All software vendors are still waiting to receive final forms and instructions for several forms. This includes Federal and/or state forms.

Can I electronically file returns?

No.  We are currently scheduled to turn on electronic filing on January 28th when the IRS MeF opens.

What happens to the returns I have created if the IRS issues form changes prior to e-file opening?

We strongly recommend that you open each return and exit through the Submission screen of E-file by clicking the Save and Exit return button. This allows the most recent forms/calculations to be saved with the return.

You can then navigate to Client Status for the return by selecting Client Status from the Tools menu on the Client List.

Compare the AGI and Refund calculated today with the last time you were in the return before sending the file electronically (January 28th).

We have not received an approved date for turning on Start a New Return for 2018 at the site level.  We are in daily communications with the limited staff at SPEC headquarters.  Historically they have not turned this on until mid-January (last year it was January 16th).  As we learn more, we will keep this blog post updated.

We have processed all orders submitted to us by the IRS prior to the government shut down.  We have received a significant number of inquiries this week about software that we have not received orders for.  We are in daily contact with the limited IRS staff to get the status on outstanding orders.  Please know they are working diligently to recall the appropriate staff members needed to get the orders submitted for processing.   Once we receive the orders from the IRS, we are prepared to get the orders processed within a few hours.

In preparation for turning on the Start New Return feature, sites that have an outstanding order for TaxSlayer 2018 are flagged as inactive.  As soon as we receive an order from the IRS, the site will be marked with an active status.  The Practice Lab is available for all volunteers to create practice returns.  Below is an example message of a site that is marked as inactive

WASHINGTON ― Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.

“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.

The IRS will be recalling a significant portion of its workforce, currently furloughed as part of the government shutdown, to work. Additional details for the IRS filing season will be included in an updated FY2019 Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan to be released publicly in the coming days.

“IRS employees have been hard at work over the past year to implement the biggest tax law changes the nation has seen in more than 30 years,” said Rettig.

As in past years, the IRS will begin accepting and processing individual tax returns once the filing season begins. For taxpayers who usually file early in the year and have all of the needed documentation, there is no need to wait to file. They should file when they are ready to submit a complete and accurate tax return.

The filing deadline to submit 2018 tax returns is Monday, April 15, 2019 for most taxpayers. Because of the Patriots’ Day holiday on April 15 in Maine and Massachusetts and the Emancipation Day holiday on April 16 in the District of Columbia, taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2019 to file their returns.

Software companies and tax professionals will be accepting and preparing tax returns before Jan. 28 and then will submit the returns when the IRS systems open later this month. The IRS strongly encourages people to file their tax returns electronically to minimize errors and for faster refunds.

The initial release of the 2018 state programs in the Practice Lab is now available. It is important to keep in mind when accessing 2018 state returns, many states have been delayed (and are still experiencing delays) in releasing final 2018 forms/instructions due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the impact tax reform has had on the IRS release of forms/schedules.  As you prepare 2018 state returns in the Practice Lab, you may still see 2017 calculations and/or PDF forms. As information continues to be released and finalized by the states, the Practice Lab will be updated to reflect the most recent information available.

2018 State Features Still to Come

• Update: 2018 implementation of State Short-View when listing a resident return in Federal Basic Information (Delivered to production 01/09/2019)
  • This is the screen that captures state specific data prior to beginning the Federal return
• Tweaks to the New 2018 State Prompts based on Federal return entries
  • Currently, some states with State Prompts are displaying non-applicable prompts
• Update: 2018 addition of State PDF View on the State Section grid (Delivered to production 01/08/2019)
• Update: 2018 implementation of state-calc updates based on sub-menu entries (Delivered to production 01/08/2019)
  • This is where the state refund generator updates in real-time based on entries made in the state sub-menus
• Need to update the “Cancel” button within state menus to reflect “Back” instead

Open Issues currently in development

#2310 (RESOLVED)– AL return is not loading properly and impacts the calculation of the return.  To prevent the state from automatically loading, do not enter a state in the residency box on the personal information page.  If you are in the situation where the return will not calculate, click on the personal section in the left navigation bar to break the calculation process, select State and delete and Alabama.

You will notice a few changes to the print sets that we have assigned.

Master Print has been renamed to 2018 TAXPAYER COPY PRINT and will print the 1040 and schedules stacked with the “do not mail” strip

Master Print (2 8879s) has been renamed to PY TAXPAYER COPY PRINT and will be used to print the taxpayer’s copy for all prior years so it will include the 2-page 1040 and only prints one 8879

Quality Review can currently be used for all years. When in prior years, it will include the 2-page 1040.  In 2018, it will include the 1040 and schedules stacked with the “do not mail” strip and will also include the new 1040 a second time.

We will also be creating and assigning a 4th print set this year 2018 PAPER FILE that will print the new 1040 and schedules as required by the IRS for the purpose of mailing a paper return to the IRS

TaxSlayer offices (including VITA/TCE Support) will be closed Monday, December 31st through Tuesday, January 1st. Normal support hours will resume on Wednesday, January 2nd at 8:00am ET. We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

8,000 -10,000 users

24,000 returns prepared in 2018 between 11:00 am Eastern and 12:15 pm Eastern

Snapshot of where we are at:

Help us reach 106,905 returns by 12:15 pm Eastern