Allowable Travel Costs

Allowable Travel Costs Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) If a government contractor incurs business travel costs, then all the costs should be fully allowable, right? Not necessarily, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) provides guidance on allowable travel expenses in the…

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Can a Business Fully Deduct a “Luxury” Vehicle?

Can a Business Fully Deduct a “Luxury” Vehicle? The Internal Revenue Service provides criterion and regularly updated tables as guides for business vehicle deductions. The deductibility of a vehicle used for business purposes is subject to various limitations and rules.  The examples…

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Are Software Costs Expensed or Capitalized?

Should Internally Developed Software Costs be Expensed or Capitalized? This appears to be a simple question, however, the answer is more complicated than one would expect.  There are many factors that affect how internally developed software costs should be treated. …

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Are CPA’s Solely Tax Gurus?

Are CPA’s Solely Tax Gurus? The simple answer is no.  Certified Public Accountants (CPA) are much more than just tax gurus. These professional accountants are trusted business advisors whose services are only limited by the expertise and experience of each…

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Preaward Survey Failures– Part 2

Top 5 failures in a Preaward Survey Part 2 of 2-part series In part 1 of this series, we identified the top 5 epic fails of the preaward survey as involving the labor distribution, policies and procedures, generally accepted accounting…

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Incurred Cost Submission

Common Problems for the Incurred Cost Submission Besides of failing to submit an incurred cost submission (ICS) when required by the contract (“Who needs an Incurred Cost Submission?”), some of the most common ICS problems are found within the recording…

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Preaward Survey Failures– Part 1

Top 5 failures in a Preaward Survey Part 1 of 2-part series The preaward accounting system survey or audit (better known as preaward survey) is an evaluation on the prospective contractor’s accounting system.  It is documented on SF 1408.  This evaluation…

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Who needs an Incurred Cost Submission?

What is an Incurred Cost Submission and Who Needs to Submit One? The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clause FAR 52.216-7 requires government contractors to submit final annual indirect cost rates six months after the fiscal year end; known as the…

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Cost Reimbursement Contracts

Cost Reimbursement Contracts Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR) 16.301-1 defines cost reimbursement contracts as contracts which allow for payment of allowable costs up to the agreed estimated ceiling amount. There are four types of cost reimbursement contracts. A cost sharing contract…

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Firm Fixed Price Contracts

Firm Fixed Price Contracts Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 16.202-1 describes a firm fixed price contract (FFP) as a contract which “provides a price that is not subject to any adjustment on the basis of the contractor’s cost experience in performing…

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