Page images
PDF
EPUB

cost objectives on a beneficial or causal relationship which is best measured by a base other than a cost input base representing the total activity of a business unit during a cost accounting period.

(b) Segment B performs a budgeting function, the cost of which is included in its G&A expense pool. This function includes the preparation of budgets for another segment. The cost of preparing the budgets for the other segment should be removed from B's G&A expense pool and transferred to the other segment.

(c) (1) Business Unit C has a personnel function which is divided into wo parts (1) a vice president of personne who establishes personnel policy and ove:all guidance, and (ii) a personnel department which handles hirings, testing, evaluations, etc. The expense of the vice president is included in the G&A expense pool. The expense of the personnel department is allocated to the other indirect cost pools based on the beneficial or causal relationship between that expense and the indirect cost pools. This procedure s in compliance with the requirements of this Standard.

(2) Business Unit C has included selling costs as part of its G&A expense pool. Business Unit C wishes to continue to include selling costs in its G&A expense pool. Under the provisions of this Standard, Business Unit C may continue to include selling costs in its G&A pool, and these costs will be allocated over a cost input base selected in accordance with the provisions of 410.50 (d). (3) Business Unit C has included IR&D and B&P costs in its G&A expense pool. C has used a cost of sales base to allocate its G&A expense pool. As of January 1, 1978 (assumed for purposes of this illustration), the date on which C must first allocate its G&A expense pool in accordance with the requirements of this Standard, C has among its final cost objectives several cost reimbursement contracts and fixed price contracts subject to the CAS clause [referred to as the preexisting contracts]. If C chooses to use the transition method in 410.50 (e):

(1) C shall allocate IR&D and B&P costs during the transition period (from January 1, 1978, to and including the cost counting period during which the pre-existing contracts are completed), to the preexisting contracts as part of its G&A expense pool using a cost of sales base pursuant to 410.50 (e) and Appendix A.

(ii) During the transition period such costs, as part of the G&A expense pool, shall be allocated to new cost reimbursement contracts and new fixed price contracts subject to the CAS clause using a cost input base as required by 410.50 (d) and (e) and Appendix A.

(iii) Beginning with the cost accounting period after the transition period the IR&D and B&P costs as part of the G&A expense pool shall be allocated to all final cost ob

jectives using a cost input base as required by 410.50(d). If C chooses not to use the transition method in 410.50 (e), the contractual provision requiring appropriate equitable adjustment of the prices of affected prime contracts and subcontracts will bo implemented.

(4) Business Unit C has accounted for and allocated IR&D and B&P costs in a cost pool separate and apart from the G&A expense pool, C may continue to account for these costs in a separate cost pool under the provision of this Standard. If C is to use a total cost input base, these costs when accounted for and allocated in a cost pool separate and apart from the G&A expense pool will become part of the total cost input base used by C to allocate the G&A expense pool.

(5) Business Unit C has included selling costs as part of its G&A expense pool. Business Unit C has used a cost of sales base to allocate the G&A expense pool. Business Unit C desires to continue to allocate selling costs using the costs of sales base. Under the provisions of this Standard, Business Unit C would account for selling costs as a cost pool separate and apart from the G&A expense pool, and continue to allocate these costs over a cost of sales base. If C uses a total cost input base to allocate the G&A expense pool, the selling costs will become part of the total cost input base.

(d) (1) Business Unit D has accounted for selling costs in a cost pool separate and apart from its G&A expense pool and has allocated these costs using a cost of sales base. Under the provisions of this Standard. Business Unit D may continue to account for those costs in a separate pool and allocate them using a cost of sales base. Business Unit D has a total cost input base to allocate its G&A expense pool. The selling costs will become part of the cost input base used by Business Unit D to allocate the G&A expense pool.

(2) During a cost accounting period, Business Unit D buys $2,000,000 of raw materials. At the end of that cost accounting period, $500,000 of raw materials inventory have not been charged out to contracts or other cost objectives. The $500,000 of raw materials are not part of the total cost input base for the cost accounting period, because they have not been charged to the production of goods and services during that period. If all of the $2,000,000 worth of raw material had been charged to cost objectives during the cost accounting period, the cost input base for the allocation of the G&A expense pool would include the entire $2,000,000.

(3) Business Unit D manufactures a variety of testing devices. During a cost accounting period, Business Unit D acquires and uses a small building, constructs a small production facility using its own resources, and keeps for its own use one unit of a testing device that it manufactures and sells to

its customers. The acquisition cost of the building is not part of the total cost input base; however, the depreciation taken on the building would be part of the total cost input base. The costs of construction of the small production facility are not part of the total cost input base. The requirements of Cost Accounting Standard 404 provide that those G&A expenses which are identifiable with the constructed asset and are material in amount shall be capitalized as part of the cost of the production facility. If there are G&A expenses material in amount and identified with the constructed asset, these G&A expenses would be removed from the G&A expense pool prior to the allocation of this pool to final cost objectives. The cost of the testing device shall be part of the total cost input base per the requirements of Cost Accounting Standard 404 which provides that the cost of constructed assets identical with the contractor's regular product shall include a full share of indirect cost.

(e) (1) Business Unit E produces Item Z for stock or product inventory. The business unit does not include G&A expense as part of the inventory cost of these items for costing or financial reporting purposes. A production run of these items occurred during Cost Accounting Period 1. A number of the units produced were not issued during Period 1 and are issued in Period 2. However, those units produced in Period 1 shall be included in the cost input of that period for calculating the G&A expense

allocation base and shall not be included in the cost input of Period 2.

(2) Business Unit E should apply the G&A expense rate of Period 1 to those units of Item Z issued during Period 1 and may apply the rate of Period 2 to the units issued. in Period 2.

(3) If the practice of Business Unit E is to include G&A expense as part of the cost of stock or product inventory, the inventory cost of all units of Item Z produced in Period 1 and remaining in inventory at the end of Period 1, should include G&A expense using the G&A rate of Period 1.

(f) (1) Business Unit F produced Item X for stock or product inventory. The business unit does not include G&A expense as part of the inventory cost of these items. A production run of these items was started, finished, and placed into inventory in a single cost accounting period. These items are issued during the next cost accounting period.

(2) The cost of items produced for stock or product inventory should be included in the G&A base in the same year they are produced. The cost of such items is not to be included in the G&A base on the basis of when they are issued to final cost objectives. Therefore, the time of issuance of these items from inventory to a final cost objective is irrelevant in computing the G&A base.

(g) The normal productive activity of Business Unit G includes the construction of

base operating facilities for others. G uses a total cost input base to allocate G&A expense to final cost objectives. As part of a contract to construct an operating facility. G agrees to acquire a large group of trucks and other mobile equipment to equip the base operating facility. G does not usually supply such equipment. The cost of the equipment constitutes a significant part of the contract cost. A special G&A allocation to this contract shall be agreed to by the parties if they agree that in the circumstances the contract as a whole receives substantially less benefit from the G&A expense pool than that which would be represented by a cost allocation based on inclusion of the contract cost in the total cost input base.

(h) (1) The home office of Segment H separately allocates to benefiting or causing segments significant home office expenses of (1) staff management functions relative to manufacturing, (ii) staff management functions relative to engineering, (iii) central payment of health insurance costs and (iv) residual expenses. H receives these expenses as separate allocations. H maintains three indirect cost pools: (1) G&A expense, (ii) manufacturing overhead and (ii) engineering overhead: all home office expenses allocated to H are included in H's G&A expense pool.

(2) This accounting practice of H does not comply with § 410.50(g) (2). Home office residual expenses should be in the G&A expense pool, and the expenses of the staff management functions relative to manufacturing and engineering should be included in the manufacturing overhead and engineering overhead pools, respectively. The health insurance costs should be allocated in proportion to the beneficial and casual relationship between these costs and H's cost objectives.

[blocks in formation]

This Standard shall not apply to contractors who are subject to the provisions of Federal Management Circular 73-8 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions) or Circular 74-4 (Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Grants and Contracts with State and Local Governments).

§ 410.80 Effective date.

(a) The effective date of this Standard is October 1, 1976 (41 FR 27311, July 2, 1976).

(b) This Standard shall be followed by each contractor after the start of his next fiscal year beginning after January 1, 1977.

APPENDIX A

TRANSITION FROM A COST OF SALES OR SALES BASE TO A COST INPUT BASE

A business unit may use the method described below for transition from the use of

a cost of sales or sales base to a cost input base.

(1) Calculate the cost of sales or sales base in accordance with the cost accounting practice disclosed or established prior to the date established by Section 410.80 (b) of this Cost Accounting Standard.

(2) Calculate the G&A expense allocation rate using the base determined in paragraph (1) above and use that rate to allocate from the G&A expense pool to the final cost objectives which were in existence prior to the date on which the business unit must first allocate costs in accordance with the requirements of this Cost Accounting Standard.

(3) Calculate a cost input base in compliance with § 410.50 (d) above.

(4) Calculate the G&A expense rate using the base determined in paragraph (3) above and use that rate to allocate from the G&A expense pool to those final cost objectives which arise under contracts entered into on or after the date on which the business unit must first allocate costs in accordance with the requirements of this Cost Accounting Standard.

(5) The calculations set forth in paragraphs (1)-(4) above shall be performed for each cost accounting period during which final cost objectives described in (2) are being performed.

(6) The business unit shall establish an inventory suspense account. The amount of the inventory suspense account shall be equal to the beginning inventory of contracts subject to the CAS clause of the cost accounting period in which the business unit must first allocate costs in accordance with the requirements of this Cost Accounting Standard.

(7) In any cost accounting period, after the cost accounting periods described in (5) above, if the ending inventory of contracts subject to the CAS clause in less than the balance of the inventory suspense account, the business unit shall calculate two G&A expense allocation rates, one to allocate G&A expenses to contracts subject to the CAS clause and one applicable to other work.

(a) The G&A expense pool shall be divided in the proportion which the cost input of the G&A expense allocation base of the contracts subject to the CAS clause bears to the total of the cost input allocation base, selected in accordance with § 410.50 (d), for the cost accounting period.

(b) The G&A expenses applicable to contracts subject to the CAS clause shall be reduced by an amount determined by multiplying the difference between the balance of the inventory suspense account and the ending inventory of contracts subject to the CAS clause by the cost of sales rate, as determined under (1) above, of the cost accounting period in which a business unit must first allocate costs in accordance with the requirements of this Cost Accounting Standard.

(8) In any cost accounting period in which such a reduction is made, the balance of the inventory suspense account shall be reduced to be equal to the ending inventory of contracts subject to the CAS clause of that cost accounting period.

The following illustrates how a business unit would use this transition method.

1. Business Unit R has been using a cost of sales base to allocate its G&A expense pool to final cost objectives. Business Unit R uses a calendar year as its cost accounting period. On October 1, 1976 (assumed for purposes of this illustration) Cost Accounting Standard 410 becomes effective. On October 2, 1976, Business Unit R receives a three-year contract containing the Cost Accounting Standards clause. As a result, Business Unit R must comply with the requirements of the Standard in the cost accounting period beginning in January, 1978.

As of January 3, 1978, Business Unit R has the following contracts:

(1) Contract I-A four-year contract awarded in January, 1975.

(2) Contract II-A three-year contract which was negotiated in March, 1976, and was awarded on October 2, 1976.

(3) Contract III-A four-year contract awarded on January 2, 1978.

If Business Unit R chooses to use the transition method provided in § 410.50 (e), it will allocate the G&A expense pool to these contracts as follows:

(a) Contract I-Since Contract I was in existence prior to January 1, 1978, the G&A expense pool shall be allocated to it using a cost of sales base as provided in 410.50(e). (b) Contract II-Since this contract was in existence prior to January 1, 1978, the G&A expense pool shall be allocated to it using a cost of sales base as provided in § 410.50 (e).

(c) Contract III-Since this contract was awarded after January 1, 1978, the G&A expense pool shall be allocated to this contract using a cost input base.

Having chosen to use § 410.50 (e), Business Unit R will use the transition method of allocating the G&A expense pool to final cost objectives until all contracts awarded prior to January 1, 1978, are completed (1979 if the contracts are completed on schedule). Beginning with the cost accounting period subsequent to that time, 1980, Business Unit R will use a cost input base to allocate the G&A expense pool to all cost objectives. Business Unit R will also carry forward an inventory suspense account in accordance with the requirements of this Standard.

2.A Business Unit N is first required to allocate its costs in accordance with the requirements of CAS 410 during the fiscal year beginning January 1, 1978. Business Unit N has used a cost of sales base to allocate its G&A expense pool.

During the years 1978, 1979, 1980, Business Unit N reported the following data:

[blocks in formation]

NOTES

Operating data is in thousands of dollars.

G. & A. expense $375,000 in accordance with the requirements of this standard.

[blocks in formation]

2.B In cost accounting period 1982, Business Unit N has an ending inventory of contracts subject to the CAS clause of $100,000. This is the first cost accounting period after the transition in which the amount of the ending inventory is less than the amount of the inventory suspense account. During this cost accounting period, Business Unit N had G&A expenses of $410,000 and cost input of $3,500,000, $1,500,000 applicable to contract subject to the CAS clause and $2,000,000 applicable to other work.

Business Unit N would compute its G&A expense allocation rate applicable to contracts subject to the CAS clause as follows:

(1) Amount of inventory suspense

account $200,000 Amount of ending inventory-- 100, 000

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

(a) The purpose of this Cost Accounting Standard is to provide criteria for the accounting for acquisition costs of material. The Standard includes provisions on the use of inventory costing methods. Consistent application of this Standard will improve the measurement and assignment of costs to cost objectives.

(b) This Cost Accounting Standard does not cover accounting for the acquisition costs of tangible capital assets nor accountability for Government-furnished materials. § 411.30 Definitions.

(a) The following definitions of terms which are prominent in this Standard are reprinted from Part 400 of this chapter for convenience. Other terms which are used in this Standard and are defined in Part 400 of this chapter have the meanings ascribed to them in that part unless the text demands a different definition or the definition is modified in paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) Allocate. To assign an item of cost, or a group of items of cost, to one or more cost objectives. This term includes both direct assignment of cost and the reassignment of a share from an indirect cost pool.

(2) Business Unit. Any segment of an organization or an entire business organization which is not divided into segments.

(3) Category of Material. A particular kind of goods, comprised of identical or interchangeable units, acquired or produced by a contractor, which are intended to be sold, or consumed or used in the performance of either direct or indirect functions.

(4) Cost Objective. A function, organizational subdivision, contract or other work unit for which cost data are desired and for which provision is made to accumulate and measure the cost of processes, products, jobs, capitalized projects, etc.

(5) Material Inventory Record. Any record used for the accumulation of actual or standard costs of a category of material recorded as an asset for subsequent cost allocation to one or more cost objectives.

« PreviousContinue »