Provide examples of restructured client-QuickBooks’ Lists (Chart of Accounts, Customers, Jobs, Vendors, etc.) and discuss examples and recommendations. Explain the reorganization of the Chart of Accounts to accommodate unallowable or unbillable accounts.

• As one of the region’s largest and most resourceful accounting, tax and advisory firms, we’ve expanded to keep pace with client demand across the Southeast.
• Setting up your QuickBooks is just the first step; once it is brought into compliance, it must remain in compliance .
• Direct labor for company sites, direct labor for government sites, overhead for company sites, and overhead for government sites must all be listed separately.
• Explain Accounting System Review process and recommend a priority-order for addressing findings.
• Write an email that includes step-by-step instructions for Actual versus Budget Reports from QB.
• For instance, when time tracking features are used correctly and honestly by all team members, QuickBooks can be DCAA compliant by creating an audit trail for timesheets.

An accounting system represents a combination of records, internal controls, and written policies and procedures that function together in the process of accumulating and reporting financial data. During the performance of government contracts, the contractor is required to develop its accounting systems in a manner consistent with generally accepted accounting principles . However, government regulations, particularly FAR Part 31 and the CAS, play a significant role in the tailoring of a contractor’s accounting system.

Actual labor distribution calculation will not be calculated directly in the software but is easily recorded to ensure accurate reporting. When you configure QuickBooks, it is important to fairly allocate labor distribution to the total time that is recorded on timesheets so that no customer contract is given favorable treatment.

Meets The Following Dcaa Requirements:

As one of the region’s largest and most resourceful accounting, tax and advisory firms, we’ve expanded to keep pace with client demand across the Southeast. Our clients are leaders in their respective fields and expect their professional advisor to know their industry.

• Organize the company chart of accounts to segregate direct costs from indirect costs, organize indirect costs into cost pools, and segregate unallowable costs.
• Payroll items are an important link between the timesheet system and the QuickBooks system.
• Include specifically unallowable accounts with FAR references in descriptions.
• Analyze current policies and procedures – primarily focusing on stronger Internal Controls – for limited, small business resources.
• The chart of accounts is the foundation on which you will build your DCAA compliant accounting system.

Additional suggestions, at the beginning of configuring or reconfiguring the General Ledger setup, reduce future CoA changes and aid changes in the indirect rate structure. You can achieve compliance in QuickBooks by setting up multiple jobs under the same customer. To track customer jobs, tasks and sub-tasks, you can go into the Customer Center section of QuickBooks and select an appropriate level to track revenues and expenses. Additionally, you can specify the contract type, such as time and material, firm-fixed-price or cost-plus-fixed-fee.

These gaps typically fall under the major areas identified in the governments Form 1408. The next step is for ReliAscent to provide a quote to the company on how to fix this. Analyze current policies and procedures – primarily focusing on stronger Internal Controls – for limited, small business resources. Using templates, tailor ten draft policies and procedures to address gaps. Explain Accounting System Review process and recommend a priority-order for addressing findings. Explain labor and labor-related month-end adjustments and their timing. Discuss the methodology for calculating and allocating indirect rates.

Setting Up Indirect Cost Pools In Quickbooks

Given this reality, setting up and maintaining an adequate timekeeping system is critical. While a it can be manual , to reduce the extremely high risk of errors, it is recommended a contractor use an automated software. Timekeeping requirements include important practices such as labor being identified by contract or task order, time being recorded daily by employees, and supervisor approval of timecards. To learn more about DCAA’s timekeeping requirements visit our DCAA Compliant Timekeeping page. This means that costs are accumulated in QuickBooks under dual entry general ledger control, and job costs are accumulated into general ledger accounts.

The right government contract accounting software should do more than simply ensure regulations compliance. It should also provide you with the tools you need to boost the profitability of your business and lower your operational cost. By more effectively monitoring profitability you can better identify which project management processes you need to improve. Additionally, if you streamline your accounting processes you can save time and avoid costly errors which arise frequently when data is not integrated or needs to be manually re-entered in multiple systems.

Each of your staff or subs must have access to a timesheet system that enables the recording of time spent on direct effort as well as indirect cost objectives (e.g. paid time off). We can help your government contracting business develop systems that take the worry out of DCAA compliance and help executives make meaningful decisions about business growth and the contracts they enter into.

Another key requirement in the pre-award survey is your ability to identify and accumulate direct costs by project. This means associating direct expenses with a single cost objective rather than at a customer level. For example, if you have five contracts with a government agency, you need to ensure that revenues, costs and billing for each contract can be distinguished. QuickBooks is a good choice for small government contractors who want complete control over their financial data, want a user-friendly accounting system, and want to feel good knowing they didn’t need a loan to buy it. We encourage our small business owners to use an accounting software package where they are not reliant on the bookkeeper or accountant to tell them how business is performing. If you are looking for a small CPA firm that specializes in providing government contract accounting and Defense Contract Audit Agency compliance services, well that is our expertise. We cover a wide range of accounting and business advisory services, many unique to the aspects of working on government contracts.

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Small boutique CPA firm specializing in accounting, financial statements and consulting services for small government contractors. Use separate cost categories and map them to the relevant accounts so that the indirect rates arecan be calculated correctly. Direct labor for company sites, direct labor for government sites, overhead for company sites, and overhead for government sites must all dcaa chart of accounts be listed separately. The indirect cost accounts need to be broken down into pools for general and administrative, overhead, and fringe. You must also establish a separate sequence of accounts for unallowable expenses. The general ledger needs to include accounts such as payables and receivables, along with unearned revenue and prepaid expenses, to show that it is using an accruals basis.

You will also need to adjust each month in accordance with your internal revenue recognition procedures because QuickBooks recognizes revenue based on the date entered on the invoice. We partner with a third party expert to ensure preparedness for DCAA audits, complete transitions to QuickBooks platforms and verify suitability of QuickBooks use for every GovCon client. Payroll Learn more SHS payroll frees you from the complexity of managing withholdings, benefit deductions, tax filings and reporting. Hands-on training (+ remote support) for your accounting staff to become independent as quickly as possible.

PROCAS Accounting is a financial and project cost accounting system, all-in-one. First, let’s review what is required as part of a DCAA compliant accounting system.

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Considering that Defense Contract Audit Agency compliance is critical, it is worthwhile to take a moment and examine this in detail. Creation of cost pools for capturing all fringe benefits, general & administrative, overhead and indirect dollars/rates. The accounting for unallowable costs should also be explained clearly in the accounting procedures because when auditors make their review, they want to see such segregations. Bringing your QuickBooks file into DCAA compliance , requires adding several components to the general ledger and system as a whole. These can be found in the Federal Government’s Standard Form 1408 , and they comprise the “pillars” or “foundations” of the platform. We highly recommend that all employees track their time regardless of whether or not they work on a particular SBIR/STTR or any other contract. This will help your business to establish and justify your indirect rates for the Ph II proposal or any other contracting opportunity you may have.

QuickBooks has a good purchasing module that can handle any purchases, not just inventory. Each approved vendor or subcontract purchase should be entered as a Purchase Order against specific contracts. The accounting department would then process vendor invoices https://quickbooks-payroll.org/ against approved purchase orders. Certain costs are unallowable and must be separated in an accounting system. These costs include such things as alcohol, entertainment, interest expense, bad debts, advertising, lobbying costs, patent expenses, and more.

It is much easier to have the system reconfigured and in use before you win the contract. While the DCAA doesn’t require any particular software, it does have certain criteria that a timekeeping system must meet in order to be DCAA compliant. Because QuickBooks doesn’t offer a built-in, compliant time-tracking system, it is necessary to use an external system that integrates well with QuickBooks and has all controls required for DCAA approval.

Purchasing one or two vehicles would be reasonable and therefore an allowable cost under DCAA regulations. On the other hand, buying a fleet of luxury cars would be considered unreasonable and thus unallowable.

Project Status Report

You can download reports into Microsoft Excel and email them to project managers on a weekly basis. The information provided to PROCAS in online forms on this website is for PROCAS, LLC business use only.

Variations and customization is permitted, as long as the chart of accounts meets DCAA requirements. Before implementing a significant variation from our standard chart of accounts, you may want to consult with an expert before your DCAA system audit. The examples in this manual are presented to illustrate some of the more frequent requirements that contractors encounter when working with DCAA auditors, and in responding to the Government procurement and administrative process. Based in Arlington, VA our CPA firm is a full service accounting firm, specializing in Tax Services, CFO Consulting and Bookkeeping services. Our CPA firm prides itself on its technological advantages and innovative company culture to provide better service to its clients and partners to help them grow their small business and reach their professional goals. In cost reimbursable contracts, the government agency will provide for the payment of allowable costs, up to a prescribed amount specified in the initial contract.

However; there is a difference in the P&L section for government contracting in comparison to the P&L section in the commercial sector. The expense section is very different in government contracting when compared to the expense section of a commercial enterprise. These subsets are utilized to represent cost of sales, intermediate and final indirect expense pools, allocation bases, and expenses segregated from the government contracting business. These subsets are standard to the industry of government contracting and are universally recognized by industry accountants and DCAA auditors alike. An adequate accounting system for tracking costs and providing vital financial information to management is not only important, but is required for the performance of government contracts.

Our firm has expertise in industries including manufacturing, construction, real estate, financial services, healthcare, government, education and retail. We serve clients from office locations including Birmingham , Atlanta , Tampa , Montgomery , Huntsville , Pensacola , Fort Walton Beach , Destin , Panama City , Cullman , Anniston , Mobile , and Foley .

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With examples, demonstrate recording a Job for each transaction row in the Profit and Loss section. Explain and provide optional solutions for concerns in the customer-contract language. Contrast Chart of Accounts against invoice/voucher format per contractual award. Draft letter on behalf of client to acknowledge Contracting Officer notice of non-compliance. Evaluate and provide feedback on current Accounting Policies and Procedures. Discuss Quarterly Reports with client; provide notes on specific recommendations to address client draft reports. The shower answer to this questions is yes, you can make Quickbooks DCAA compliant.

Businesses serving the federal government face unique challenges and compliance requirements. Government contractors must apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles , Federal Acquisition Regulations , and Cost Accounting Standards , as well as other government standards. The Defense Contract Audit Agency helps enforce the rules and guidelines created by FAR and CAS to ensure tax dollars are being spent wisely. Government property is defined as any piece of equipment that is charged as a direct cost on a government contract.

All other expense-type accounts should be subordinated into a cost pool account group. The most important aspect of a DCAA compliant chart of accounts is the segregation of costs. By having a separate sequence of accounts for direct costs, indirect cost and unallowable items in QuickBooks, you can identify and distinguish cost pools easily. If you need a CPA who understands the standards, rules and regulations required by business who work as government contractors, we can help. We’ll draft or review your QuickBooks accounting policies to ensure they meet all the requirements. Does my timekeeping system connect with a labor distribution system to calculate raw labor costs for both direct and indirect cost objectives? Auditors place a high premium on accounting for incurred labor dollars.