A FAR compliant accounting system is a common prerequisite for becoming a pre-qualified consultant for a state transportation department.
Your accounting system must, among other functions, properly segregate direct and indirect costs in accordance with the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31 for you to work government contracts.
If you do not have a FAR compliant accounting system, you could fail to get or keep pre-qualified consultant status and perhaps miss opportunities to bid on transportation contracts all together.
A FAR compliant accounting system does the following, according to the the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' AASHTO Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide and the Defense Contract Audit Agency's DCAA Pamphlet 7641.90. AASHTO cites DCAAP 7641.90 as a guide for transportation departments and consultants.
- Segregates direct costs and indirect costs
- Accumulates direct costs by contract
- Allocates indirect costs to intermediate and final cost objectives (contracts) based on “a logical and consistent method”
- Reconciles the job-cost ledger and other books of account with the general ledger, and is controlled by the general ledger
- Tracks employee time by work activity
- Charges direct and indirect labor costs to the appropriate contracts
- Produces interim reports of charges to contracts, at least monthly
- Excludes unallowable costs
- Identifies costs by line item and units, if required by contract
- Segregates pre-production costs and production costs
The DCAA offers additional guidance in a presentation on accounting system requirements for government contractors, as well as an accounting system requirements checklist for government contractors.
Please contact us here or call (904) 731-9222 if you have additional questions, or if you would like to see if you have a FAR compliant accounting system.
