Unallowable (Non-Reimbursable) Cost Definitions

Definition

Costs that cannot be charged to the Federal Government or included in the Facilities and Administrative (indirect) cost rate.

Overview

The Uniform Guidance CFR 2, Part 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles (formerly OMB A-21 Section J) prohibits the University from charging Federally funded agreements or requesting Federal reimbursement for certain costs. UG refers to these costs as "unallowable costs" or "non-reimbursable" costs. However, for some of these costs, specific circumstances or cost attributes, which are described below, are allowable.

Since service and recharge center rates are often charged to Federally sponsored budgets or programs, these non-reimbursable costs cannot be included in recharge rates charged to internal users or charged to the service center operating account.

If a facilities and administrative (indirect) cost proposal is being prepared, non-reimbursable costs must be identified when they occur in UW budgets to ensure they are not included in the University's F&A or indirect cost rates.

Unallowable Cost Categories

Advertising and public relations (§200.421)

Refer to UG §200.421.

Alcoholic beverages (§200.423)

Costs of alcoholic beverages are unallowable.

Alumni/ae activities (§200.424)

Costs incurred by IHEs for, or in support of, alumni/ae activities are unallowable.

Audit services (§200.425)

Refer to UG §200.425.

Bad debts (§200.426)

Bad debts (debts which have been determined to be uncollectable), including losses (whether actual or estimated) arising from uncollectable accounts and other claims, are unallowable. Related collection costs, and related legal costs, arising from such debts after they have been determined to be uncollectable are also unallowable. See also §200.428 Collections of improper payments.

Collections of Improper payments (§200.428)

The costs incurred by a non-Federal entity to recover improper payments are allowable as either direct or indirect costs, as appropriate. Amounts collected may be used by the non-Federal entity in accordance with cash management standards set forth in §200.305 Payment.

Commencement and convocation costs (§200.429)

For IHEs, costs incurred for commencements and convocations are unallowable, except as provided for in Appendix III to Part 200—Indirect (F&A) Costs Identification and Assignment, and Rate Determination for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), paragraph (B)(9) Student Administration and Services, as student activity costs.

Compensation-personal services (§200.430)

Refer to UG §200.430.

Compensation-fringe benefits (§200.431)

Refer to UG §200.431.

Conferences (§200.432)

A conference is defined as a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, workshop or event whose primary purpose is the dissemination of technical information beyond the non-Federal entity and is necessary and reasonable for successful performance under the Federal award. Allowable conference costs paid by the non-Federal entity as a sponsor or host of the conference may include rental of facilities, speakers' fees, costs of meals and refreshments, local transportation, and other items incidental to such conferences unless further restricted by the terms and conditions of the Federal award. As needed, the costs of identifying, but not providing, locally available dependent-care resources are allowable. Conference hosts/sponsors must exercise discretion and judgment in ensuring that conference costs are appropriate, necessary and managed in a manner that minimizes costs to the Federal award. The Federal awarding agency may authorize exceptions where appropriate for programs including Indian tribes, children, and the elderly. See also §200.438 Entertainment costs, §200.456 Participant support costs, §200.474 Travel costs, and §200.475 Trustees.

Contingency provisions (§200.433)

(a) Contingency is that part of a budget estimate of future costs (typically of large construction projects, IT systems, or other items as approved by the Federal awarding agency) which is associated with possible events or conditions arising from causes the precise outcome of which is indeterminable at the time of estimate, and that experience shows will likely result, in aggregate, in additional costs for the approved activity or project. Amounts for major project scope changes, unforeseen risks, or extraordinary events may not be included.

(b) It is permissible for contingency amounts other than those excluded in paragraph (a) of this section to be explicitly included in budget estimates, to the extent they are necessary to improve the precision of those estimates. Amounts must be estimated using broadly-accepted cost estimating methodologies, specified in the budget documentation of the Federal award, and accepted by the Federal awarding agency. As such, contingency amounts are to be included in the Federal award. In order for actual costs incurred to be allowable, they must comply with the cost principles and other requirements in this part (see also §200.300 Statutory and national policy requirements through §200.309 Period of performance of Subpart D of this part and §200.403 Factors affecting allowability of costs); be necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project or program objectives, and be verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records.

(c) Payments made by the Federal awarding agency to the non-Federal entity's “contingency reserve” or any similar payment made for events the occurrence of which cannot be foretold with certainty as to the time or intensity, or with an assurance of their happening, are unallowable, except as noted in §200.431 Compensation—fringe benefits regarding self-insurance, pensions, severance and post-retirement health costs and §200.447 Insurance and indemnification.

Contributions and donations (§200.434)

Refer to UG §200.434.

Defense and prosecution of criminal and civil proceedings, claims, appeals and patent infringements (§200.435)

Refer to UG §200.435.

Depreciation (§200.436)

Refer to UG §200.436.

Entertainment costs (§200.438)

Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized either in the approved budget for the Federal award or with prior written approval of the Federal awarding agency.

Equipment and other capital expenditures (§200.439)

Refer to UG §200.439.

Fines, penalties, damages, and other settlements (§200.441)

Costs resulting from non-Federal entity violations of, alleged violations of, or failure to comply with, Federal, state, tribal, local or foreign laws and regulations are unallowable, except when incurred as a result of compliance with specific provisions of the Federal award, or with prior written approval of the Federal awarding agency. See also §200.435 Defense and prosecution of criminal and civil proceedings, claims, appeals and patent infringements.

Fund raising and investment management costs (§200.442)

(a) Costs of organized fund raising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred to raise capital or obtain contributions are unallowable. Fund raising costs for the purposes of meeting the Federal program objectives are allowable with prior written approval from the Federal awarding agency. Proposal costs are covered in §200.460 Proposal costs.

(b) Costs of investment counsel and staff and similar expenses incurred to enhance income from investments are unallowable except when associated with investments covering pension, self-insurance, or other funds which include Federal participation allowed by this part.

(c) Costs related to the physical custody and control of monies and securities are allowable.

(d) Both allowable and unallowable fund raising and investment activities must be allocated as an appropriate share of indirect costs under the conditions described in §200.413 Direct costs.

Gains and losses on disposition of depreciable assets (§200.443)

Refer to UG §200.443.

Goods or services for personal use (§200.445)

(a) Costs of goods or services for personal use of the non-Federal entity's employees are unallowable regardless of whether the cost is reported as taxable income to the employees.

(b) Costs of housing (e.g., depreciation, maintenance, utilities, furnishings, rent), housing allowances and personal living expenses are only allowable as direct costs regardless of whether reported as taxable income to the employees. In addition, to be allowable direct costs must be approved in advance by a Federal awarding agency.

Insurance and indemnification (§200.447)

Refer to UG §200.447.

Intellectual Property (§200.448)

Refer to UG §200.448.

Interest (§200.449)

Refer to UG §200.449.

Lobbying (§200.450)

Refer to UG §200.450.

Losses on other sponsored agreements or contracts (§200.451)

Any excess of costs over income under any other award or contract of any nature is unallowable. This includes, but is not limited to, the non-Federal entity's contributed portion by reason of cost-sharing agreements or any under-recoveries through negotiation of flat amounts for indirect (F&A) costs. Also, any excess of costs over authorized funding levels transferred from any award or contract to another award or contract is unallowable. All losses are not allowable indirect (F&A) costs and are required to be included in the appropriate indirect cost rate base for allocation of indirect costs.

Maintenance and repair costs (§200.452)

Costs incurred for utilities, insurance, security, necessary maintenance, janitorial services, repair, or upkeep of buildings and equipment (including Federal property unless otherwise provided for) which neither add to the permanent value of the property nor appreciably prolong its intended life, but keep it in an efficient operating condition, are allowable. Costs incurred for improvements which add to the permanent value of the buildings and equipment or appreciably prolong their intended life must be treated as capital expenditures (see §200.439 Equipment and other capital expenditures). These costs are only allowable to the extent not paid through rental or other agreements.

Materials and supplies costs, including costs of computing devices (§200.453)

(a) Costs incurred for materials, supplies, and fabricated parts necessary to carry out a Federal award are allowable.

(b) Purchased materials and supplies must be charged at their actual prices, net of applicable credits. Withdrawals from general stores or stockrooms must be charged at their actual net cost under any recognized method of pricing inventory withdrawals, consistently applied. Incoming transportation charges are a proper part of materials and supplies costs.

(c) Materials and supplies used for the performance of a Federal award may be charged as direct costs. In the specific case of computing devices, charging as direct costs is allowable for devices that are essential and allocable, but not solely dedicated, to the performance of a Federal award.

(d) Where federally-donated or furnished materials are used in performing the Federal award, such materials will be used without charge.

Memberships, subscriptions and professional activity costs (§200.454)

(a) Costs of the non-Federal entity's membership in business, technical, and professional organizations are allowable.

(b) Costs of the non-Federal entity's subscriptions to business, professional, and technical periodicals are allowable.

(c) Costs of membership in any civic or community organization are allowable with prior approval by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

(d) Costs of membership in any country club or social or dining club or organization are unallowable.

(e) Costs of membership in organizations whose primary purpose is lobbying are unallowable. See also §200.450 Lobbying.

Participant support costs (§200.456)

Participant support costs as defined in §200.75 Participant support costs are allowable with the prior approval of the Federal awarding agency.

Pre-award costs (§200.458)

Pre-award costs are those incurred prior to the effective date of the Federal award directly pursuant to the negotiation and in anticipation of the Federal award where such costs are necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope of work. Such costs are allowable only to the extent that they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal award and only with the written approval of the Federal awarding agency.

Professional service costs (§200.459)

Refer to UG §200.459.

Proposal costs (§200.460)

Proposal costs are the costs of preparing bids, proposals, or applications on potential Federal and non-Federal awards or projects, including the development of data necessary to support the non-Federal entity's bids or proposals. Proposal costs of the current accounting period of both successful and unsuccessful bids and proposals normally should be treated as indirect (F&A) costs and allocated currently to all activities of the non-Federal entity. No proposal costs of past accounting periods will be allocable to the current period.

Publication and printing costs (§200.461)

Refer to UG §200.461.

Rearrangement and reconversion costs (§200.462)

(a) Costs incurred for ordinary and normal rearrangement and alteration of facilities are allowable as indirect costs. Special arrangements and alterations costs incurred specifically for a Federal award are allowable as a direct cost with the prior approval of the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

(b) Costs incurred in the restoration or rehabilitation of the non-Federal entity's facilities to approximately the same condition existing immediately prior to commencement of Federal awards, less costs related to normal wear and tear, are allowable.

Recruiting costs (§200.463)

Refer to UG §200.463.

Relocation costs of employees (§200.464)

Refer to UG §200.464.

Rental costs of real property and equipment (§200.465)

Refer to UG §200.465.

Scholarships and student aid costs (§200.466)

Refer to UG §200.466.

Selling and marketing (§200.467)

Costs of selling and marketing any products or services of the non-Federal entity (unless allowed under §200.421 Advertising and public relations.) are unallowable, except as direct costs, with prior approval by the Federal awarding agency when necessary for the performance of the Federal award.

Specialized service facilities (§200.468)

(a) The costs of services provided by highly complex or specialized facilities operated by the non-Federal entity, such as computing facilities, wind tunnels, and reactors are allowable, provided the charges for the services meet the conditions of either paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, and, in addition, take into account any items of income or Federal financing that qualify as applicable credits under §200.406 Applicable credits.

(b) The costs of such services, when material, must be charged directly to applicable awards based on actual usage of the services on the basis of a schedule of rates or established methodology that:

(1) Does not discriminate between activities under Federal awards and other activities of the non-Federal entity, including usage by the non-Federal entity for internal purposes, and

(2) Is designed to recover only the aggregate costs of the services. The costs of each service must consist normally of both its direct costs and its allocable share of all indirect (F&A) costs. Rates must be adjusted at least biennially, and must take into consideration over/under applied costs of the previous period(s).

(c) Where the costs incurred for a service are not material, they may be allocated as indirect (F&A) costs.

(d) Under some extraordinary circumstances, where it is in the best interest of the Federal Government and the non-Federal entity to establish alternative costing arrangements, such arrangements may be worked out with the Federal cognizant agency for indirect costs.

Student activity costs (§200.469)

Costs incurred for intramural activities, student publications, student clubs, and other student activities, are unallowable, unless specifically provided for in the Federal award.

Taxes - including Value Added Tax (§200.470)

Refer to UG §200.470.

Termination costs (§200.471)

Refer to UG §200.471.

Training and education costs (§200.472)

The cost of training and education provided for employee development is allowable.

Transportation costs (§200.473)

Costs incurred for freight, express, cartage, postage, and other transportation services relating either to goods purchased, in process, or delivered, are allowable. When such costs can readily be identified with the items involved, they may be charged directly as transportation costs or added to the cost of such items. Where identification with the materials received cannot readily be made, inbound transportation cost may be charged to the appropriate indirect (F&A) cost accounts if the non-Federal entity follows a consistent, equitable procedure in this respect. Outbound freight, if reimbursable under the terms and conditions of the Federal award, should be treated as a direct cost.

Travel costs (§200.474)

Refer to UG §200.474.

Trustees (§200.475)

Travel and subsistence costs of trustees (or directors) at IHEs and nonprofit organizations are allowable. See also §200.474 Travel costs.

 

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