Enrolled Agent News and Policy Updates: The 2026 Season

Change log, newest first

Each entry gives the date, what changed, and the primary source. The IRS enrolled agent news page was last reviewed on September 29, 2026 when this log was checked on October 18, 2026.

• October 1, 2026: The 2027 enrollment renewal period opened for enrolled agents whose SSN ends in 7, 8, or 9, or who have no SSN. It closes January 31, 2027. Source: IRS enrolled agent news.
• September 2026: International SEE scheduling, expected to start September 1, 2026, and international testing, expected to start September 2, 2026, were delayed. New dates have not been set. Source: IRS enrolled agent news.
• As of September 29, 2026: The EA Program no longer accepts inquiries by email. Use the Office of Enrollment webform. Source: IRS enrolled agent news.
• July 1, 2026: Testing under PSI was expected to roll out starting this date. The current domestic window runs July 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Sources: IRS enrolled agent news and the IRS enrolled agents FAQ.
• March 1, 2026: Prometric no longer develops or administers the SEE. The IRS contracted PSI Services, LLC. Source: IRS enrolled agent news.
• Still open on October 18, 2026: The Circular 230 changes proposed on December 26, 2024 (REG-116610-20) have no final rule. Sources: IRS news release IR-2024-315 and the Federal Register.

The exam vendor is PSI, not Prometric

Effective March 1, 2026, Prometric no longer develops or administers the Special Enrollment Examination. The IRS contracted PSI Services, LLC for that work. In practice, this means any instruction that tells you to schedule, check ID rules, or look up a score through Prometric is historical. Create your candidate profile with PSI and follow the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for test-day rules. The booking steps are on the PSI testing guide.

Domestic window open, international testing delayed

Domestic candidates can test from July 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Testing is unavailable in March and April while the exam is updated. International candidates are in a different position. The IRS expected international scheduling to begin September 1, 2026 and testing to begin September 2, 2026. Both were delayed, and the IRS has not set new dates. The IRS also says candidates whose passed parts may expire under the three-year carryover rule will get additional time. If you test from outside the United States, check the IRS enrolled agent news page before you plan a study calendar around a date.

2027 renewal for SSNs ending in 7, 8, or 9

Only those already enrolled need to act on this one, not candidates. The 2027 enrollment renewal period runs October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027 for enrolled agents whose SSN ends in 7, 8, or 9, and for those with no SSN. Without renewal, enrollment expires March 31, 2027. Renewal is filed online through Pay.gov using Form 8554. The IRS lists these requirements: an active PTIN; at least 16 CE hours each year, including 2 ethics hours; and 72 hours over the three-year cycle, which the IRS states as 66 qualifying hours plus 6 ethics hours. A first renewal uses a different rule: 2 hours for each month enrolled, including 2 ethics hours per year. The IRS says to allow 90 days for processing.

New contact route and a pending rule

The EA Program no longer accepts inquiries by email. Send questions through the Office of Enrollment webform. Separately, the Circular 230 proposal that Treasury and the IRS published in December 2024 is still a proposal. It would add a technological competence duty, remove the former IRS employee waiver, and change some contingent-fee rules. None of that is in force as of October 18, 2026. The full list, and our analysis of what it could mean for candidates, is on the future of the enrolled agent page.

How to verify a rule change yourself

You can check any claim on this page, or on any prep site, in a few minutes. First, open the IRS enrolled agent news page and find its page-last-reviewed date. If a secondary source is older than that date, recheck it. Second, for exam logistics, compare the IRS enrolled agents FAQ with the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. When they disagree with a blog or course page, follow the IRS and PSI. Third, for practice rules, read the text of Circular 230 itself. The current printed version is Revision 6-2014. Fourth, for a proposed regulation, open its Federal Register entry and search for the docket number, here REG-116610-20. A proposal is not law until a final rule is published, so look for a later final rule before you treat any proposed change as current. Fifth, write down the date you checked. Rules move, and a dated note tells you when to look again.