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Planning BasisTAX PLANNING · RESEARCH & INSIGHT
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Regulatory news and changes

Timeline of changes and actions

Planning Basis research deskSection 04 · Page 2 of 12Last updated 3 November 2026
Date or period Change and status Buyers affected Action to request
Property acquired after 19 January 2025; IRS guidance 14 January 2026 Permanent 100% additional first-year depreciation for qualifying property under the 2025 law; eligibility conditions remain Contractors and practices acquiring business assets Confirm acquisition, in-service and qualification facts; model state treatment and liquidity. IRS — IR-2026-06: Additional first-year depreciation guidance, 14 January 2026
Tax years beginning after 31 December 2024 Domestic research/experimental costs may be currently deducted under section 174A; foreign costs follow different treatment Agencies and other businesses with qualifying development activity Separate domestic/foreign work and expense treatment from credit eligibility. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-38: Revenue Procedure 2025-28
6 July 2026, now past General deadline described in Rev. Proc. 2025-28 for the eligible small-business retroactive election; earlier refund limits can matter Businesses reviewing 2022–2024 domestic R&E Check filed evidence and remaining routes with the adviser; do not advertise this as an open universal election. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-38: Revenue Procedure 2025-28
Tax years beginning in 2026 Section 179 maximum $2,560,000; phaseout begins when eligible property costs exceed $4,090,000 Capital-intensive businesses Apply eligibility and other limits; do not confuse a maximum with the business’s usable deduction. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45: 2026 inflation adjustments
Tax years beginning after 2025 QBI changes include permanent continuation and expanded provisions Eligible pass-through owners Recompute owner-level results rather than reusing a pre-2025 sunset model. IRS — Publication 334 (2025), Tax Guide for Small Business
2026 plan operations Roth catch-up requirement applies to affected participants; $150,000 prior-year sponsor-wage threshold for 2026 Employer retirement plans and relevant owner-employees Confirm payroll/recordkeeper configuration and participant treatment. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-49: 2026 retirement limits
Generally taxable years beginning after 31 December 2026 Final catch-up regulations generally apply, with specific exceptions; regulations effective 17 November 2025 Plan sponsors and administrators Distinguish 2026 statutory operation from later general regulatory applicability. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-40: Catch-up final regulations
Construction beginning after 30 June 2026 Section 179D terminated for such property under the 2025 legislation Businesses considering relevant commercial-building projects Obtain a documented construction-start and eligibility assessment before quoting benefits. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45: 2026 inflation adjustments
14 August 2026 BOI final rule effective; US companies/persons exempt, with remaining requirements for certain foreign entities US entities and groups with foreign-formed companies Remove stale domestic BOI tasks while separately checking foreign-entity obligations. Federal Register — BOI reporting revision, effective 14 August 2026 Treasury — FinCEN permanently ends US beneficial ownership reporting, 11 August 2026
Contracts entered into in tax years beginning after 4 July 2025 Changes to residential construction contract treatment; 2026 method guidance discusses implementation Contractors with relevant residential contracts Have a construction tax specialist check contract categories and method procedures. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-39: Accounting method guidance

The section 179 limit and QBI calculations are not purchase recommendations. A maximum deduction may not be usable, and accelerating an expense may simply shift tax between years. A contractor should retain an operational capital plan alongside the tax analysis.

Explore the structured evidence

Property acquired after 19 January 2025; IRS guidance 14 January 2026

Change and status

Permanent 100% additional first-year depreciation for qualifying property under the 2025 law; eligibility conditions remain

Buyers affected

Contractors and practices acquiring business assets

Action to request

Confirm acquisition, in-service and qualification facts; model state treatment and liquidity. IRS — IR-2026-06: Additional first-year depreciation guidance, 14 January 2026

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Sources cited on this page

  1. IRS — IR-2026-06: Additional first-year depreciation guidance, 14 January 2026content.govdelivery.com
  2. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-38: Revenue Procedure 2025-28www.irs.gov
  3. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45: 2026 inflation adjustmentswww.irs.gov
  4. IRS — Publication 334 (2025), Tax Guide for Small Businesswww.irs.gov
  5. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-49: 2026 retirement limitswww.irs.gov
  6. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-40: Catch-up final regulationswww.irs.gov
  7. Federal Register — BOI reporting revision, effective 14 August 2026www.govinfo.gov
  8. Treasury — FinCEN permanently ends US beneficial ownership reporting, 11 August 2026home.treasury.gov
  9. IRS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-39: Accounting method guidancewww.irs.gov