New US Tax Law Enters the CPA Exam from 1 July 2026: What OBBBA Means for REG and TCP Candidates

ExpertMinds Editorial·1 May 2026·3 min read

Watch out:If you are sitting REG or TCP on or after 1 July 2026, the exam will include questions on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provisions. Study materials purchased before May 2026 may not yet reflect these changes.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law and represents one of the most significant US tax law changes in recent years. The AICPA has confirmed that new tax provisions with effective dates in 2024 and 2025 will appear on the REG and TCP sections of the CPA exam beginning 1 July 2026.

Which sections are affected

Section	Affected?	Nature of changes
AUD	No	No direct tax law content
FAR	No	Financial reporting standards unchanged
REG	Yes	Federal taxation provisions updated from July 1, 2026
BAR	No	Business analysis and reporting — no direct tax content
ISC	No	Information systems — no direct tax content
TCP	Yes	Tax compliance and planning — directly updated from July 1, 2026

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What this means for candidates sitting before and after July

If you have a REG or TCP exam scheduled before 1 July 2026, your exam will be based on existing tax law. If you are sitting from 1 July onward, OBBBA provisions are in scope. The cutover is clean — there is no overlap window. The AICPA has stated it will update official blueprints and sample questions, though third-party prep providers vary in how quickly they update their question banks.

Tip:If you are targeting REG or TCP and your exam is scheduled after July 1, verify that your prep provider has released OBBBA-updated materials before your final review phase. This is not a minor update — it covers provisions effective in 2024 and 2025.

What this means for candidates

If you are mid-preparation for REG or TCP with an exam before July 1, stay the course — the exam you registered for is unchanged
If your exam is July 1 or later, confirm your study materials are updated to reflect OBBBA provisions
TCP candidates are particularly exposed — tax planning and compliance is the entire discipline, and new provisions directly affect planning strategies
Watch for AICPA blueprint updates published in June 2026 — these will specify exactly which OBBBA provisions are testable

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Which sections are affected

Section	Affected?	Nature of changes
AUD	No	No direct tax law content
FAR	No	Financial reporting standards unchanged
REG	Yes	Federal taxation provisions updated from July 1, 2026
BAR	No	Business analysis and reporting — no direct tax content
ISC	No	Information systems — no direct tax content
TCP	Yes	Tax compliance and planning — directly updated from July 1, 2026

Practice CPA questions while you read

Questions graded, hints, and explained.

What this means for candidates sitting before and after July

What this means for candidates

If you are mid-preparation for REG or TCP with an exam before July 1, stay the course — the exam you registered for is unchanged

If your exam is July 1 or later, confirm your study materials are updated to reflect OBBBA provisions

TCP candidates are particularly exposed — tax planning and compliance is the entire discipline, and new provisions directly affect planning strategies

Watch for AICPA blueprint updates published in June 2026 — these will specify exactly which OBBBA provisions are testable