IRS Releases 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan

The Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have released a list guidance projects outlining priorities for the period October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Notable items by priority area are as follows.

One Big Beautiful Bill Act Implementation

• Guidance under Internal Revenue Section (IRC Sec.) 529 regarding enhancements to qualified tuition programs.

Deregulation and Burden Reduction

• Regulations updating rules relating to the use of an electronic medium to provide applicable notices and to make participant elections and spousal consents. A proposed rule was issued in 2022.

• Regulations and other guidance on defined benefit funding, including on the determination of target normal cost and funding target for single-employer defined benefit plans.

• Regulations to remove provisions under IRC Sec. 7508A regarding mandatory 60-day postponement of certain tax-related deadlines by reason of a federally declared disaster.

Other Priorities

• IRS Employee Plans program guidance, including revenue procedures updating the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) and adding a new IRA Compliance Resolution System (ICRS) to reflect provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act.

• Guidance implementing provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act, including section 103 (savers match), section 110 (qualified student loan matching contributions), section 125 (long-term part-time employees), section 127 (pension-linked emergency savings accounts), and section 324 (rollover rules), as well as guidance under IRC Sec. 72(t) relating to certain distributions, IRC Sec. 401(a)(9) and related provisions, IRC Sec. 413(e) multiple employer plans, and IRC Sec. 414A automatic enrollment.

The plan does not detail specific release dates, and it is not uncommon for projects to carry over from one priority guidance plan to the next.