The PCAOB is an independent, nonprofit corporation created by Congress to oversee audits of public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers. Its main duties are to register public accounting firms, establish auditing and related professional-practice standards, inspect firms’ audits and quality‑control systems, and investigate and discipline firms and individuals for violations.
The accounting support fee is the annual assessment that funds the PCAOB’s budget (after registration and annual fees). Under Section 109 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act, the fee is collected from issuers (public companies) and SEC‑registered brokers and dealers. Generally, equity issuers with average monthly U.S. market capitalization > $75 million and investment companies with average market cap or NAV > $500 million are allocated issuer shares; broker‑dealers with average quarterly tentative net capital > $5 million are allocated broker‑dealer shares.
Congress (Sarbanes‑Oxley Section 109(b)) requires the PCAOB to set a budget subject to SEC approval. The SEC reviews the PCAOB’s proposed budget and accounting‑support‑fee allocation under agency procedures (see 17 CFR 202.190 and SEC budget‑approval orders), evaluating whether the budget was adopted in accordance with the PCAOB’s procedures and is consistent with the Act and applicable rules before issuing an approval order.
PCAOB budgets typically fund its core programs: inspections of registered firms, enforcement and investigations, standards‑setting and related research, and operational needs (staffing, IT, administration).
The SEC’s approval applies to the PCAOB’s fiscal/calendar year budget for the upcoming year; invoicing and assessments for the accounting support fee follow the PCAOB’s annual billing timetable (the PCAOB posts invoices and calculation dates). For 2026 specifically, the SEC’s approval triggers the PCAOB to assess and bill the 2026 accounting support fee pursuant to its funding rules—assessments are reflected in the PCAOB’s invoice schedule for that year.
Full documents are available on the agencies’ websites: the SEC’s press release and the SEC order approving the PCAOB’s 2026 budget, and the PCAOB’s 2026 budget release and related budget PDF on the PCAOB site.