IRS accepting applicants for 2026 Compliance Assurance Process

Written on Aug 22, 2025

The IRS announced the opening of the 2026 Compliance Assurance Process (CAP) program application period, which will run from Sept. 3 to Oct. 31, 2025. 

If accepted into the program, the IRS will inform applicants in February 2026. 

Launched in 2005, CAP employs real-time issue resolution through transparent and cooperative interaction between large corporate taxpayers and the IRS to improve federal tax compliance by resolving issues before filing of a tax return. 

To be eligible to apply for CAP, applicants must: 

  • Have assets of $10 million or more, 

  • Be a U.S. publicly traded corporation with a legal requirement to prepare and submit SEC Forms 10-K (annual report), 10-Q (quarterly report) and 8-K (current report) or a privately held C-corporation, including foreign-owned. Privately held applicants will be required to submit audited financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or another permissible method, as deemed appropriate by the IRS, specific to the taxpayer applying to the CAP program on an annual basis and unaudited financial quarterly statements. The audited financial statements must contain an unqualified audit opinion from an independent auditor. Additionally, the net income or loss per the audited financial statements must reconcile to the Schedule M-3 Line 4(a), worldwide consolidated net income (loss), 

  • Not be under investigation by, or in litigation with, any government agency that would limit IRS access to current tax records. 

See highlights and updates for detailed information on the CAP program for 2026, including updates on audited financial statement requirements. General program information and the 2026 application details are available on the CAP webpage.