Frequently Asked Questions

No. A fabrication is defined as one piece of equipment that is built (fabricated) because an existing piece of equipment with the desired functionality does not exist. The fabricated item should remain together for the lifetime of the asset. The entire cost of the fabricated asset is depreciated over its useful life and the costs incurred to build the asset are excluded from indirect cost.

It should be explicitly stated in the copy of the Fellowship.  Please verify what is allowed before making any purchases. 

Immediately contact Equipjment Inventory at 543-4663 and we'll see what we can do to help you correct the error.

Yes, but they have to note that the item will remain UW property.  As a part of the ProCard approval process, EIO will check to make sure the student doesn't plan on keeping the item and will let them know to enter a note on the transaction that "This item will remain UW property.

Please see the 'Gift Transmittals' page for the Gift Transmittal Form. Contact the University Advancement's Gift Processing unit with questions relating to the form.

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and the sponsoring agency negotiate to determine the ownership of equipment.

While submitting the closeout property report, Equipment Inventory (working with University research departments) asks the granting agency to vest title with the University. Note: Title never vests with an individual.

Please see the Post Award Fiscal Compliance page for further information.

Equipment Inventory prepares and submits all closing and annual reports. Occasionally, Equipment Inventory will contact the department for clarification and assistance.

No, you are not required to reallocate the cost of the equipment.  Most sponsors allow for equipment to be used by other Awards.  Federal regulations, in particular, allow for equipment to be used by other Awards without having to reallocate the cost or obtain sponsor approval (click here for more information).  For non-Federal Awards, review the Award requirements to determine if cost allocation is required.   Keep in mind that such cost allocations present both a high risk transaction (subject to audit) and a large administrative burden.  In most cases the cost of equipment does not need to be reallocated so ensure that there is a specific requirement to do so before reallocating the cost.  For more information click here

Intangible assets are capital assets that have the following characteristics:
Lack physical substance
They are not financial instruments such as: cash, investments and receivables
Initial useful life greater than 1 year
Examples: easements, water rights, patents, trademarks, computer software (not the transmission media, just the programming)

In discussions with the State Office of Financial Management and auditors it was determined that $1 million was the appropriate capitalization threshold for these assets. This balances the benefit of tracking the assets with the cost of tracking the assets. For example, to arrive at the cost of software generated by University personnel it would be necessary for employees to track the time spent in development of an approved project. Costs incurred prior to project approval and for program implementation would have to be expensed. Departments would be required to keep detailed records of project activity to support the asset balances that would be subject to audit.

For questions related to the recharge rate, please contact MAA  - Recharge and Cost Center Accounting  recharge@uw.edu.

The threshold for the M&E Tax Exemption is $200. We are not required under the RCW to use the UW's capitalization threshold of $5,000. The equipment:

• Must have a useful life of more than one year
• Must be directly used more than 50% of its useful life on qualifying research; and
• Must have an acquisition cost of more than $200

Note:  Add costs to existing pieces of M&E qualifying equipment can also qualify for the exemption, even if they are under $200.

No. The exemption as stated in the law is for 'new purchases' only. M&E Exemption must be requested and approved prior to purchase. The University does not retroactively allow purchases to qualify.

Yes, but the department will need to cancel the current purchase requisition and re-enter a new purchase requisition using the correct object code(s).

No. Due to compliance issues, M&E purchases cannot be purchased using the ProCard. 

Yes.  APL should complete an M&E Certificate and send an electronic copy to the Equipment Inventory Office (EIO).  Since this purchase doesn't flow through one of the University's purchasing systems, APL needs to include the M&E Statement on the certificate for audit documentation purposes. 
 

Early in the University's adoption of the M&E Exemption, we learned that laptops and other portable computing equipment items would probably not qualify for the exemption under audit. This is due to the items being extremely portable as well as having the ability to be used for many different functions outside of research. To reduce the University's risk under audit, we simply don't allow these items to be purchased under the M&E Exemption.

Yes, Definition (15) of RCW 82.63.010 specifically includes software. It states: 'Qualified machinery and equipment' includes: Computers; software; data processing equipment...

No for warranties, yes for maintenance agreements. The DOR issued a special notice that specifically calls out warranties as being taxable even if the property is exempt. If the warranty is included in the cost of the total sales price and can't be broken out separately, then it won't be subject to tax because it is considered part of the underlying price. If it is broken out separately, then it is taxable.

Maintenance agreements separate from warranties qualify for tax exemption.

You can still include the first year of a warranty into the total cost of an M&E qualifying piece of equipment, just use the equivalent non-M&E object code for the warranty portion of the purchase (e.g. use 06-91 for the warranty if the equipment is being purchased as 06-93).

Yes, please use object code 05-41 for the expenses.

Yes, please use object code 05-41 for the expenses.

Yes, these items can be purchased as 05-41 due to the fabricated item qualifying for the M&E Exemption.  The department will need to provide a comment stating that the items are going into a fabrication and also provide the fabrication tag number.

Yes. Allowing this is consistent with how we treat components of a fabrication that are under $200 and also aligns with the Equipment Inventory Office's System Policy.

Please include comments to this effect on the requisition.

No. The law does not extend the exemption to consumables.