Start-of-Tax TY2025 Season

Announcements

2025 Practice Lab Now Available – Nov. 4th

Please read the entire blog here. TaxSlayer is still incorporating latest tax laws and forms over the next few months at least twice weekly. Please DO NOT report any previous year tax forms as they continue to be a work-in-progress.

IRS VITA/TCE Central - Link & Learn Certification & Training Site is Now Available

The Link & Learn Certification Site is now available to log into and update your personal account/profile information and your course selection(s): click here to access.

This is a great time to verify your account profile information and make any needed changes. Click on your picture/initials in the upper right corner, and update the profile information as needed.

The current tax year certification exams are not yet loaded. Once the exams have been made available, log in and select the Certifications tab, and in the "Subject" drop-down list, check the applicable certification tests you'll be taking. Select all the ones that apply.

The Certification exams availability will be announced as soon as the IRS has made them available.

From: IRS SPEC: IRS Information Advisory for Filing Season 2026 

Background: The Form 6744 VITA/TCE Volunteer Test/Retest questions are based on pre-OBBBA tax law. Therefore, all test answers are also based on pre-OBBBA tax law in effect at the time. This may cause volunteers to make inadvertent errors when completing certification tests.  

Message for volunteers: Volunteers should base their certification test/retest answers using the tax law content shown in the lessons of the Publication 4491 and Publication 4012. Volunteers should NOT base their test/retest answers on OBBBA tax law changes. The Link & Learn Taxes Certification site is programmed for pre-OBBBA tax law answers only.

Links to add to your Chromebook Bookmarks.

Bookmark these links to your personal device and your Chromebook:

• Maine Tax-Aide - Right-click to open in Incognito Window on your Chromebook 

• ME1 State Share - State-wide shared folder. Anyone with the link can view/contribute.

  • Requires a Google account to access (i.e. Username@gmail.com).

  • Everyone should have contributor access (can't delete anything).

  • Deletes can be requested through TCS@gmail.com or TCS@aarpfoundation.org.

Prospective Volunteer (PV) Accounts

The PV process has begun and updates will happen every TUESDAY, until mid-October, when they'll go to 2x week on TUES and FRIDAY.

Please remind your LCs that a prospective volunteer must have been designated a Candidate in the Portal.

Refer to the NOC Tip Sheet VP04.02 - Processing a Prospective Volunteer, which is found in the volunteer Portal Libraries in the orange folder.

Prepare Tax-Aide Equipment for Start of Tax Season

Proper preparation of Tax-Aide equipment helps ensure maximum availability and reliability for the entire tax season. The following instructions should help you to do these important tasks.

Chromebooks

Reference: C11 Chromebook Accounts, Logging in, Adding and Removing User Accounts

Prepare a Chromebook for use after extended storage:

1. Plug in the power supply to the left USB-C port (yes, it does appear to make a difference on the newer models)

2. Charge the Chromebook battery to a minimum of 80% and power ON (by opening the screen or pressing the keyboard Power button.

3. If your Chromebook does not power on, take your Chromebook out of storage mode by:

   • • Simultaneously hold down both the Refresh (circle)and Power keys and power ON the Chromebook, then release the keys. The device should turn ON.

4. Power on your Chromebook (CB) and connect to your secure wireless network (C12 - Chromebook Connection to a Network - a Basic Guide)

5. if present, remove any accounts listed from the main Login screen by selecting the down caret (ν) next to the account name and clicking Remove account twice. Do this for all the accounts on the Chromebook

   • Do not use any previously used accounts on Chromebooks due to security concerns

6. Log onto your CB with your TY2x login ID (123456789ty2x@aarpfoundation.org) and the initial password (TaxAide202x!)

7. Ensure the Chromebook has the most current OS updates (C14 - Updating Chromebook OS), which should be automatic.

8. Import your previously saved Bookmarks from a USB drive making sure to add the Maine Tax-Aide (https://sites.google.com/view/mainetaxaide/home) website to your "Incognito Window" folder list, which you can create.

9. Shut down your Chromebook to ensure future ChromeOS updates are downloaded when next used

10. Your Chromebook is now ready for use in the new tax season.

11. Storage: NEVER store Chromebooks or printers in vehicles, outdoor storage, portable storage units, or any location that cannot be climate-controlled or where it can be potentially stolen.

Network Equipment

1. Power up the the router and/or Hotspot as applicable

2. Update the firmware as needed

3. Determine if your site will require a 1-Layer or 2-Layer router solution (NEW TA Policy & Procedure for TY2025)

4. Test all connections at your Tax-Aide site

5. Store each in its original box in a similar environment as your Chromebook (per CB instructions above)

6. Click here for more information

Questions?

Please reach out to your district Technical Coordinator, state Technical Specialist or District coordinator with any questions or concerns.