Revenue procedure · 2015
Rev. Proc. 2015-14
Rev. Proc. 2015-14, 2015-5 I.R.B. 450
IRS revenue procedure
Audio summary
A short audio walkthrough of this rule: what it says and why it matters for your study.
What it holds
Provides the definitive list of automatic accounting method changes, with each change's scope, terms, and Section 481(a) treatment. It is the operational companion to Rev. Proc. 2015-13. Practitioners find the specific change number for the impermissible-to-permissible depreciation change here when filing a retroactive cost segregation Form 3115.
Why it matters for your study: This is the document you look up when you need the specific change number for a cost segregation Form 3115 filing. Rev. Proc. 2015-13 sets the rules; this one tells you which change number to use and what conditions apply.
Where this comes from
Rev. Proc. 2015-13 overhauled the general framework for accounting method changes in January 2015. But a framework procedure alone is not enough. Practitioners need to know which specific changes are automatic, what each one covers, and what Section 481(a) treatment applies.
That information lives in Rev. Proc. 2015-14, which was issued the same day as 2015-13. Together, they replaced the prior procedures and created the current governing framework.
What it established
This procedure is a list of approved automatic changes. Each entry identifies the type of change, the scope (which taxpayers and property types qualify), the Section 481(a) treatment, and any special conditions.
For cost segregation, the key entry covers the impermissible-to-permissible depreciation change: a taxpayer who has been depreciating property over the wrong (too long) recovery period uses the entry here to confirm automatic consent is available and to get the specific change number for Form 3115.
The list is a living document. Annual procedures update specific entries as the law and IRS policy evolve.
How it shows up in a study
A cost segregation study creates a Form 3115 filing. The form asks for the designated change number for the type of method change being made. That number comes from the appendix to this procedure.
Every time a study is done for a look-back reclassification, someone checks this procedure to confirm the change number is still valid and to confirm the conditions for that change have been met. It is a final checkpoint before the filing goes in.
What it does not mean
This procedure does not decide whether the reclassification was right. That question comes from the section 1245 analysis, the Whiteco permanence factors, and the cost segregation case law. Rev. Proc. 2015-14 only confirms the procedural mechanism for making the change.
The list is also not static. Annual updates modify specific entries. Using an outdated version of the procedure can result in citing the wrong change number or missing a new condition. Always use the current version, which as of 2026 has been updated through Rev. Proc. 2025-23.
Primary source
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- Category
- Methodology & procedure
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- All property types
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- Vetted
This page explains a tax authority in plain words. It is not tax advice for your situation. The way this authority applies to your property is reviewed by a licensed tax professional. Citation is provided so you or your advisor can read the primary source.