How do I choose a CRS XML v3.0 tool?
Check eight things: that it writes CRS XML Schema v3.0, what it checks before you file, whether it handles corrections, where your account data goes, what it runs on, which jurisdiction’s rules it follows, how it is priced, and who supports it. The DITC no longer provides a generator for v3.0 (DITC Industry Advisory, 17 June 2026), so every Cayman FI that files CRS XML needs another way to produce v3.0 files. Below are the questions to ask, and AEOIkit’s answer to each, so you can compare like with like.
| Ask | Why it matters | AEOIkit’s answer |
|---|---|---|
| Which schema does it write? | After the portal reopens, “new Reportable Accounts, corrections, or deletions” must be v3.0 (DITC Industry Advisory, 17 June 2026) | CRS XML Schema v3.0 only (urn:oecd:ties:crs:v3) |
| What does it check? | A file can pass the XSD and still fail business rules | Checks built from CrsXML_v3.0.xsd, plus business rules from the OECD status-message guidance. No XML until errors are cleared |
| Corrections and deletions? | Corrections to earlier years must also be v3.0 | Yes: CRS702 messages, OECD2 and OECD3 records with CorrDocRefId, and the transitional codes for v2.0 records |
| Where does the data go? | Account-holder data is personal data | Nowhere. The tool runs in your browser and makes no network requests |
| What does it run on? | Locked-down PCs and Macs | Any modern browser on Windows, macOS or Linux. No installer, no admin rights, no macros, works offline |
| Whose rules? | Identifier formats and local rules differ by jurisdiction | Cayman Islands (DITC) conventions for MessageRefId and DocRefId |
| How is it priced? | Volume filers need a published scale | Public: CI$1,500 per FI per year; intermediary from CI$8,000 for 10 FIs |
| Who supports it? | Deadline season is when you need an answer | Email, one-business-day reply; a Cayman company |
Hosted service, desktop software or browser tool
CRS tools come in three shapes. A hosted service takes your data onto its servers and often files for you. Desktop software is installed on a PC and may need IT to set it up. A browser tool such as AEOIkit is a single file that runs locally: nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded. Which suits you depends on your volume, your IT rules and who you want holding the data.
Ask to see the output
Any tool can say it is “v3.0 compliant”. Ask for a sample file and check it against the OECD schema yourself. AEOIkit publishes one: a sample v3.0 file with its validation result. Ask what the tool does not do as well. AEOIkit’s limits are listed on its specification page.
Check the fine print on updates
In June 2026 the DITC said it expected to issue further CRS industry guidance in Q3 2026 (DITC Updates Bulletin); check ditc.ky for what has since been published. Ask what happens if the rules change after you buy. AEOIkit’s answer: if the DITC’s v3.0 portal rules require changes, licensed customers get an updated copy at no charge.
Sources: DITC, Industry Advisory: Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and Economic Substance (ES) Updates, 17 June 2026 · DITC, Updates Bulletin, posted June 2026 · OECD, Amended Common Reporting Standard XML Schema: User Guide for Tax Administrations, version 4.0 (CRS schema version 3.0), 2024. Last checked 23 October 2026. Dates the DITC gives as “anticipated” may move; check ditc.ky for the latest.
Related answers
Dates and deadlines in one place: CRS in the Cayman Islands, 2026–2027.