diff --git a/app/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations.rb
index 528a9a256..7cd24183c 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module Validations::Sales::SaleInformationValidations
       record.errors.add :initialpurchase, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_after_1980")
     end
 
-    if record.saledate.present? && record.initialpurchase >= record.saledate
+    if record.saledate.present? && ((record.initialpurchase > record.saledate) || (record.initialpurchase == record.saledate && record.form.start_year_2026_or_later?))
       record.errors.add :initialpurchase, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_saledate")
       record.errors.add :saledate, :skip_bu_error, message: I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_initial_purchase_date")
     end
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ module Validations::Sales::SaleInformationValidations
       record.errors.add :lasttransaction, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_after_1980")
     end
 
-    if record.saledate.present? && record.lasttransaction >= record.saledate
+    if record.saledate.present? && ((record.lasttransaction > record.saledate) || (record.lasttransaction == record.saledate && record.form.start_year_2026_or_later?))
       record.errors.add :lasttransaction, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_before_saledate")
       record.errors.add :saledate, :skip_bu_error, message: I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_last_transaction_date")
     end
-    if record.initialpurchase.present? && record.lasttransaction <= record.initialpurchase
+    if record.initialpurchase.present? && ((record.lasttransaction < record.initialpurchase) || (record.lasttransaction == record.initialpurchase && record.form.start_year_2026_or_later?))
       record.errors.add :initialpurchase, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_last_transaction")
       record.errors.add :lasttransaction, I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_after_initial_purchase")
     end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/fix_sales_logs_with_invalid_initialpurchase_lasttransaction.rake b/lib/tasks/fix_sales_logs_with_invalid_initialpurchase_lasttransaction.rake
index a3f748e05..54cae2ff2 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/fix_sales_logs_with_invalid_initialpurchase_lasttransaction.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/fix_sales_logs_with_invalid_initialpurchase_lasttransaction.rake
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-desc "We tightened the validation between initial purchase date and sale date so the two can no longer be equal. To avoid invalid logs we clear initialpurchase if it equals saledate"
+desc "We tightened the validation between initial purchase date in 2026, last transaction date and sale date so the two can no longer be equal. To avoid invalid logs we clear initialpurchase if it equals saledate and if initialpurchase = lasttransaction we clear both"
 task fix_sales_logs_with_invalid_initialpurchase_lasttransaction: :environment do
-  initial_purchase_equal_saledate_logs = SalesLog.filter_by_year_or_later(2025).where("initialpurchase = saledate")
-  initial_purchase_equal_lasttransaction_logs = SalesLog.filter_by_year_or_later(2025).where("initialpurchase = lasttransaction")
+  initial_purchase_equal_saledate_logs = SalesLog.filter_by_year_or_later(2026).where("initialpurchase = saledate")
+  initial_purchase_equal_lasttransaction_logs = SalesLog.filter_by_year_or_later(2026).where("initialpurchase = lasttransaction")
 
   puts "Updating #{initial_purchase_equal_saledate_logs.count} logs where initialpurchase = saledate, #{initial_purchase_equal_saledate_logs.map(&:id)}"
 
diff --git a/spec/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations_spec.rb b/spec/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations_spec.rb
index 4227a0dbf..04f71b198 100644
--- a/spec/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/validations/sales/sale_information_validations_spec.rb
@@ -252,13 +252,27 @@ RSpec.describe Validations::Sales::SaleInformationValidations do
     end
 
     context "when initial purchase date == saledate" do
-      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, initialpurchase: current_collection_start_date, saledate: current_collection_start_date) }
+      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, initialpurchase: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year), saledate: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year)) }
 
-      it "adds error" do
-        sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_initial_purchase_date(record)
+      context "and 2025", metadata: { year: 25 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2025 }
 
-        expect(record.errors[:initialpurchase]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_saledate")])
-        expect(record.errors[:saledate]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_initial_purchase_date")])
+        it "does not add an error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_initial_purchase_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).not_to be_present
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "and 2026", metadata: { year: 26 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2026 }
+
+        it "adds error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_initial_purchase_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:initialpurchase]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_saledate")])
+          expect(record.errors[:saledate]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_initial_purchase_date")])
+        end
       end
     end
   end
@@ -316,13 +330,27 @@ RSpec.describe Validations::Sales::SaleInformationValidations do
     end
 
     context "when last transaction date == saledate" do
-      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, lasttransaction: current_collection_start_date, saledate: current_collection_start_date) }
+      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, lasttransaction: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year), saledate: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year)) }
 
-      it "adds error" do
-        sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+      context "and 2025", metadata: { year: 25 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2025 }
 
-        expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_before_saledate")])
-        expect(record.errors[:saledate]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_last_transaction_date")])
+        it "does not add an error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).not_to be_present
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "and 2026", metadata: { year: 26 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2026 }
+
+        it "adds error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_before_saledate")])
+          expect(record.errors[:saledate]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.saledate.must_be_after_last_transaction_date")])
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -348,13 +376,27 @@ RSpec.describe Validations::Sales::SaleInformationValidations do
     end
 
     context "when last transaction date == initial purchase date" do
-      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, lasttransaction: current_collection_start_date, initialpurchase: current_collection_start_date) }
+      let(:record) { build(:sales_log, lasttransaction: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year), initialpurchase: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year), saledate: collection_start_date_for_year(start_year) + 1.day) }
 
-      it "adds error" do
-        sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+      context "and 2025", metadata: { year: 25 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2025 }
 
-        expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_after_initial_purchase")])
-        expect(record.errors[:initialpurchase]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_last_transaction")])
+        it "does not add an error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).not_to be_present
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "and 2026", metadata: { year: 26 } do
+        let(:start_year) { 2026 }
+
+        it "adds error" do
+          sale_information_validator.validate_staircasing_last_transaction_date(record)
+
+          expect(record.errors[:lasttransaction]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.lasttransaction.must_be_after_initial_purchase")])
+          expect(record.errors[:initialpurchase]).to eq([I18n.t("validations.sales.sale_information.initialpurchase.must_be_before_last_transaction")])
+        end
       end
     end
   end