Conformance of CAS to GAAP for Compensated Personal Absence & Depreciation of Tangible Capital Assets

Tony Worick’s Comments to CASB

Conformance of Cost Accounting Standards to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for Compensated Personal Absence and Depreciation of Tangible Capital Assets

Capital Edge Consulting's Tony Worick recently submitted a letter to the Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) regarding the proposed rule changes under Case 2021-02. These changes aim to align Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for compensated personal absences and depreciation of tangible capital assets.

The letter highlights several key points:

• Support for eliminating CAS 408 and CAS 409: The differences between GAAP and CAS are minimal, and the standards are no longer necessary to ensure uniformity and consistency in cost allocation.
• Simplification of cost accounting practices: We recommend treating any changes resulting from the elimination of these standards as required changes, without the need for cost impact calculations.
• Historical evolution: CAS 409 was originally necessary due to differences in depreciation methods, but these have been resolved over time, making GAAP sufficient.
• Improved compliance and reduced administrative burden: Aligning CAS with GAAP will reduce the likelihood of misapplication and streamline compliance for government contractors.

Capital Edge Government Contract experts strive to provide valuable insight and feedback to help shape the future of government contracting standards. Download and read the entire letter which includes detailed comments and recommendations on these proposed changes.

Capital Edge Consulting is a professional services company comprised of adept problem solvers who deliver tangible results to address today’s most complex U.S. government contracting challenges. Capital Edge helps clients address the challenging regulatory, contractual, and compliance requirements of U.S. federal contracts and we have experience working with a wide variety of industries that provide goods or services to the federal government including industries such as biotech and healthcare, nuclear energy, education, information technology, non-profit, professional services, defense, and software.