All sites that we have not received a TaxSlayer 2024 order have been marked as inactive.  As we receive orders from the IRS the sites will be sent a notification that their site order has been processed and their site will be activated.

This impacts all users created at the site.  If the site is inactive because we have not received an order, then all users associated with that site will also be inactive.

Please reach out to your SPEC Relationship Manager for the status of your 2024 TaxSlayer order.

Update 12/12/2024  12:23 PM:  A resolution has been deployed that prevents the error.  The originally issued links are fine (it was an issue inside the application).  If your link has expired, please reach out to VITA/TCE support and they will send you a new Site Administrator link.

We began importing the first round of orders this morning (12/12) and we are aware of an issue with the links included in the New Site & New Site Admin e-mails. The links are not allowing a new site/admin to save their login information and instead are receiving a “You do not have access to modify this value” error when attempting to save. We are actively investigating.

Update 12/2  8:00 AM EDT:  We have not received the first order from the IRS.  Once we do, we will update this blog post and begin processing the orders.

We are processing our first set of orders from the IRS. Below is what you can expect:

Returning Sites

• The email address submitted with the order will receive 1 email confirming that we have processed the order.

New Sites

• The email address submitted with the order will receive 2 emails
• The links are one time use only links
• You must know your SIDN in order to create your Admin account
  • TaxSlayer support WILL NOT give you this information
  • If you do not know the SIDN associated with the order, you MUST reach out to your SPEC Relationship Manager
• The default PIN = 98765
• Print Sets, Security Templates, etc will be assigned to your site within 3 business days (Monday-Friday)

Relational and Multi-Site Groups

• The goal is to have these setup and/or updated within a week of processing the order

We will receive orders weekly through the end of December.  Note that any site that we do not have a 2024 order for on 12/31 will be marked as inactive until we receive an order.  We will receive orders two times a week beginning in January.

The 2024 Desktop/Contingency Software & Site Administration OnDemand webinars for the 2025 Filing Season are now available. The direct links are available below and also accessible under Section 6 in the Practice Lab.

• Desktop & Contingency Software – Click Here
• Site Administration – Click Here

Remaining OnDemand Webinars: The remaining OnDemand webinars (Return Preparation 1 & 2) will be made available after Thanksgiving (early December). Additional blog posts will be published with direct links when available. Under Section 6 of the Practice Lab, the 2023 versions are still available for viewing.

The 2024 Enhancement Webinar (2025 Filing Season) will be presented live the week of December 8th. Please contact your SPEC Relationship Manager for additional information.

The IRS has indicated shutdown begins on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, in order to prepare the system for the upcoming Tax Year 2024 Filing Season. After this date and time, no returns can be electronically filed. Additional information available here.

Note: TaxSlayer Pro applications will still be available after the cutover, but if you prepare returns, you will need to file them via paper until the IRS brings their 1040 MeF system back online in late January. When the 1040 MeF system comes back online, you will be able to electronically file the following years: 2024, 2023, and 2022.

Practice Lab 2024 is scheduled to be released/available on Tuesday, November 5th. 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 2023 instead of 2024.

With the Practice Lab 2024 release, you will have access to PL 2024 and PL 2023.

When you log in to your Production Sites, you will see the following TaxSlayer 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019. You do not have the ability to create new returns in 2024, but you can still prepare returns in all of the available prior years. You will be able to electronically file 2023, 2022 and 2021 until the IRS shuts down their MeF system tentatively scheduled for November 30th at 11:59pm ET.

States will not be available in Practice Lab 2024 until closer to the filing season in either late December or early January. You can use PL 2023 to have your volunteers train or practice with state returns.

We’re excited to announce an enhancement released into the 2023 and forward TaxSlayer Pro Online application for Federal returns. Details below…

Problem To Solve: [Example Scenario] Preparer completes return as Direct Debit with $400 owed. Quality Reviewer makes an update resulting in a change in amount owed of only $200. Quality Reviewer skips the Bank Account page in e-file without updating the direct debit payment amount. Return is filed and $400 is paid to the IRS instead of $200.

• Existing Functionality: In the above scenario, whether the amount owed increases or decreases, IF the user visits the Bank Account page in e-file, a validation error appears indicating the direct debit payment and amount owed does not match. User does not see this validation when skipping the Bank Account page often resulting in a higher amount being paid to the IRS than what is actually owed.
• ENHANCED Functionality: In the same above scenario, whether the amount owed increases or decreases, when a user clicks “Save & Exit” or “Transmit Return” on the Submission page, the below dialog box will appear if the direct debit amount has not been updated. Clicking “YES” will redirect the user to the Bank Account page to make an update. Clicking “NO” will continue the desired action (Save & Exit or Transmit Return).

Practice Lab 2024 is tentatively scheduled to be released/available the week of November 11th.

DISCLAIMERS:

Please keep in mind that the Practice Lab will be updated twice a week, after release, as we receive finalized forms and instructions from the IRS. With that, we will ask volunteers to not report calculation issues to support.

With the Practice Lab 2024 release, you will have access to PL 2024 and PL 2023.

After Practice Lab 2024 release, when logging into your Production Sites, you will see the following: TaxSlayer 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019. You will not have the ability to create new returns in 2024, but you can still prepare returns in all of the available prior years. You will be able to electronically file 2023, 2022 and 2021 until the IRS shuts down their MeF system (this has not been announced by the IRS yet).

States will not be available in Practice Lab 2024 until closer to the filing season in either late December or early January. You can use PL 2023 to have your volunteers train or practice with state returns.