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Evo-ERP and DBA Classic >> Accounting >> GOVT cost accounting standards
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Message started by cathyh on 07/22/08 at 10:43:56

Title: GOVT cost accounting standards
Post by cathyh on 07/22/08 at 10:43:56

Does anyone have any experience with or ever heard of FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) or CAS (Cost Accounting Standards)?

We are submitting a bid for a contract that has asked whether or not our accounting system (Evo-ERP) is compliant with these regulations and standards.

I have been asked whether or not we are in line and unless I manage to read (and interpret!) the FAR and CSA documentation --NOT LIKELY!!-- I don't know the answers.

Any input would be much appreciated. :-*

Title: Re: GOVT cost accounting standards
Post by cathyh on 07/24/08 at 09:22:05

Lynn,

Could you please just give me a yes or no as to whether you have even heard of CAS ? This is the response I got from the person writing this contract after reading the form we filled out:

"It appears that the ladies in Accting did not indicate if your system uses the Cost Accounting Standard (CAS) also referred to as CAS compliant. Also, they provided the acronym for the Accting system EVO/ERP, but when I looked them up online. I don’t see anything on their website that addresses billing...

I don't know the CAS standards; if you do that simplifies things, if you do not then I suppose we are not CAS compliant.

Thanks!

Title: Re: GOVT cost accounting standards
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 07/25/08 at 07:23:43

My understanding of the CAS standards is not so much whether the software itself is compliant but more a question of how expenses such as overhead and G&A and such are allocated because some expenses that may be allowed in normal commercial practice are not allowed to be allocated as costs associated with government contracts. We certainly do have a number of users of DBA and Evo that are government contractors.

Title: Re: GOVT cost accounting standards
Post by cathyh on 07/28/08 at 12:15:52

Thanks for your reply Lynn.

After spending some time online with this subject I came to a similar conclusion. It's not necessarily the accounting program you use, although it would need a method to add overhead costs to your product (which Evo/DBA does); it has more to do with the methods you use to figure said overhead costs.

I would certainly appreciate hearing from other Evo/DBA users who are government contractors and have dealt with this particular compliance issue.

Title: Re: GOVT cost accounting standards
Post by rbonilla on 08/22/08 at 13:34:00

Correct, CAS, DCAA and "Govt Cost Accounting" refer to allocation of overhead rates, pooling of certain costs, and
guidelines on how to bid and cost contracts. It is an area of accounting that is a speciality...I do some consulting in
this area and have run a number of systems ( www.richard.bonilla.com ) ...... There are classes and seminars that
will teach this and software that tracks all of the needed Govt reports and audit reports......

Good luck !! Govt contract are a breeze, when managed right.......

Richard
colorado

;)