Auditees

29 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart C
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

29 C.F.R. § 99.300 Auditee responsibilities.

The auditee shall: (a) Identify, in its accounts, all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and award identification shall include, as applicable, the CFDA title and number, award number and year, name of the Federal agency, and name of the pass-through entity. (b) Maintain internal control over Federal programs that provides reasonable assurance that the auditee is managing Federal awards in compliance with laws, regulations, and the provisions of contracts or grant agreements that could have a material effect on each of its Federal programs. (c) Comply with laws, regulations, and the provisions of contracts or grant agreements related to each of its Federal programs. (d) Prepare appropriate financial statements, including the schedule of expenditures of Federal awards in accordance with § 99.310. (e) Ensure that the audits required by this part are properly performed and submitted when due. When extensions to the report submission due date required by § 99.320(a) are granted by the cognizant or oversight agency for audit, promptly notify the Federal clearinghouse designated by OMB and each pass-through entity providing Federal awards of the extension. (f) Follow up and take corrective action on audit findings, including preparation of a summary schedule of prior audit findings and a corrective action plan in accordance with § 99.315(b) and § 99.315(c), respectively.

29 C.F.R. § 99.305 Auditor selection.

(a) Auditor procurement. In procuring audit services, auditees shall follow the procurement standards prescribed by OMB Circular A-102, “Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments;” 29 CFR part 97, “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments;” OMB Circular A-110, “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-Profit Organizations;” (codified at 2 CFR part 215); or the FAR (48 CFR part 42), as applicable. (OMB Circulars are available on-line at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html.) Whenever possible, auditees shall make positive efforts to utilize small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises, in procuring audit services as stated in OMB Circular A-102, OMB Circular A-110 (2 CFR part 215), or the FAR (48 CFR part 42), as applicable. In requesting proposals for audit services, the objectives and scope of the audit should be made clear. Factors to be considered in evaluating each proposal for audit services include the responsiveness to the request for proposal, relevant experience, availability of staff with professional qualifications and technical abilities, the results of external quality control reviews, and price. (b) Restriction on auditor preparing indirect cost proposals. An auditor who prepares the indirect cost proposal or cost allocation plan may not also be selected to perform the audit required by this part when the indirect costs recovered by the auditee during the prior year exceeded $1 million. This restriction applies to the base year used in the preparation of the indirect cost proposal or cost allocation plan and any subsequent years in which the resulting indirect cost agreement or cost allocation plan is used to recover costs. To minimize any disruption in existing contracts for audit services, this paragraph applies to audits of fiscal years beginning after June 30, 1998. (c) Use of Federal auditors. Federal auditors may perform all or part of the work required under this part if they comply fully with the requirements of this part.

29 C.F.R. § 99.310 Financial statements.

(a) Financial statements. The auditee shall prepare financial statements that reflect its financial position, results of operations or changes in net assets, and, where appropriate, cash flows for the fiscal year audited. The financial statements shall be for the same organizational unit and fiscal year that is chosen to meet the requirements of this part. However, organization-wide financial statements may also include departments, agencies, and other organizational units that have separate audits in accordance with § 99.500(a) and prepare separate financial statements. (b) Schedule of expenditures of Federal awards. The auditee shall also prepare a schedule of expenditures of Federal awards for the period covered by the auditee's financial statements. While not required, the auditee may choose to provide information requested by Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities to make the schedule easier to use. For example, when a Federal program has multiple award years, the auditee may list the amount of Federal awards expended for each award year separately. At a minimum, the schedule shall: (1) List individual Federal programs by Federal agency. For Federal programs included in a cluster of programs, list individual Federal programs within a cluster of programs. For R&D, total Federal awards expended shall be shown either by individual award or by Federal agency and major subdivision within the Federal agency. For example, the National Institutes of Health is a major subdivision in the Department of Health and Human Services. (2) For Federal awards received as a subrecipient, the name of the pass-through entity and identifying number assigned by the pass-through entity shall be included. (3) Provide total Federal awards expended for each individual Federal program and the CFDA number or other identifying number when the CFDA information is not available. (4) Include notes that describe the significant accounting policies used in preparing the schedule. (5) To the extent practical, pass-through entities should identify in the schedule the total amount provided to subrecipients from each Federal program. (6) Include, in either the schedule or a note to the schedule, the value of the Federal awards expended in the form of non-cash assistance, the amount of insurance in effect during the year, and loans or loan guarantees outstanding at year end. While not required, it is preferable to present this information in the schedule.

29 C.F.R. § 99.315 Audit findings follow-up.

(a) General. The auditee is responsible for follow-up and corrective action on all audit findings. As part of this responsibility, the auditee shall prepare a summary schedule of prior audit findings. The auditee shall also prepare a corrective action plan for current year audit findings. The summary schedule of prior audit findings and the corrective action plan shall include the reference numbers the auditor assigns to audit findings under § 99.510(c). Since the summary schedule may include audit findings from multiple years, it shall include the fiscal year in which the finding initially occurred. (b) Summary schedule of prior audit findings. The summary schedule of prior audit findings shall report the status of all audit findings included in the prior audit's schedule of findings and questioned costs relative to Federal awards. The summary schedule shall also include audit findings reported in the prior audit's summary schedule of prior audit findings except audit findings listed as corrected in accordance with paragraph (b)(1) of this section, or no longer valid or not warranting further action in accordance with paragraph (b)(4) of this section. (1) When audit findings were fully corrected, the summary schedule need only list the audit findings and state that corrective action was taken. (2) When audit findings were not corrected or were only partially corrected, the summary schedule shall describe the planned corrective action as well as any partial corrective action taken. (3) When corrective action taken is significantly different from corrective action previously reported in a corrective action plan or in the Federal agency's or pass-through entity's management decision, the summary schedule shall provide an explanation. (4) When the auditee believes the audit findings are no longer valid or do not warrant further action, the reasons for this position shall be described in the summary schedule. A valid reason for considering an audit finding as not warranting further action is that all of the following have occurred: (i) Two years have passed since the audit report in which the finding occurred was submitted to the Federal clearinghouse; (ii) The Federal agency or pass-through entity is not currently following up with the auditee on the audit finding; and (iii) A management decision was not issued. (c) Corrective action plan. At the completion of the audit, the auditee shall prepare a corrective action plan to address each audit finding included in the current year auditor's reports. The corrective action plan shall provide the name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action, the corrective action planned, and the anticipated completion date. If the auditee does not agree with the audit findings or believes corrective action is not required, then the corrective action plan shall include an explanation and specific reasons.

29 C.F.R. § 99.320 Report submission.

(a) General. The audit shall be completed and the data collection form described in paragraph (b) of this section and reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section shall be submitted within the earlier of 30 days after receipt of the auditor's report(s), or nine months after the end of the audit period, unless a longer period is agreed to in advance by the cognizant or oversight agency for audit. (However, for fiscal years beginning on or before June 30, 1998, the audit shall be completed and the data collection form and reporting package shall be submitted within the earlier of 30 days after receipt of the auditor's report(s), or 13 months after the end of the audit period.) Unless restricted by law or regulation, the auditee shall make copies available for public inspection. (b) Data collection. (1) The auditee shall submit a data collection form which states whether the audit was completed in accordance with this part and provides information about the auditee, its Federal programs, and the results of the audit. The form shall be approved by OMB, available from the Federal clearinghouse designated by OMB, and include data elements similar to those presented in this paragraph. A senior level representative of the auditee (e.g., State controller, director of finance, chief executive officer, or chief financial officer) shall sign a statement to be included as part of the form certifying that: the auditee complied with the requirements of this part, the form was prepared in accordance with this part (and the instructions accompanying the form), and the information included in the form, in its entirety, are accurate and complete. (2) The data collection form shall include the following data elements: (i) The type of report the auditor issued on the financial statements of the auditee (i.e., unqualified opinion, qualified opinion, adverse opinion, or disclaimer of opinion). (ii) Where applicable, a statement that reportable conditions in internal control were disclosed by the audit of the financial statements and whether any such conditions were material weaknesses. (iii) A statement as to whether the audit disclosed any noncompliance which is material to the financial statements of the auditee. (iv) Where applicable, a statement that reportable conditions in internal control over major programs were disclosed by the audit and whether any such conditions were material weaknesses. (v) The type of report the auditor issued on compliance for major programs (i.e., unqualified opinion, qualified opinion, adverse opinion, or disclaimer of opinion). (vi) A list of the Federal awarding agencies which will receive a copy of the reporting package pursuant to § 99.320(d)(2). (vii) A yes or no statement as to whether the auditee qualified as a low-risk auditee under § 99.530. (viii) The dollar threshold used to distinguish between Type A and Type B programs as defined in § 99.520(b). (ix) The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for each Federal program, as applicable. (x) The name of each Federal program and identification of each major program. Individual programs within a cluster of programs should be listed in the same level of detail as they are listed in the schedule of expenditures of Federal awards. (xi) The amount of expenditures in the schedule of expenditures of Federal awards associated with each Federal program. (xii) For each Federal program, a yes or no statement as to whether there are audit findings in each of the following types of compliance requirements and the total amount of any questioned costs: (A) Activities allowed or unallowed. (B) Allowable costs/cost principles. (C) Cash management. (D) Davis-Bacon Act. (E) Eligibility. (F) Equipment and real property management. (G) Matching, level of effort, earmarking. (H) Period of availability of Federal funds. (I) Procurement and suspension and debarment. (J) Program income. (K) Real property acquisition and relocation assistance. (L) Reporting. (M) Subrecipient monitoring. (N) Special tests and provisions. (xiii) Auditee Name, Employer Identification Number(s), Name and Title of Certifying Official, Telephone Number, Signature, and Date. (xiv) Auditor Name, Name and Title of Contact Person, Auditor Address, Auditor Telephone Number, Signature, and Date. (xv) Whether the auditee has either a cognizant or oversight agency for audit. (xvi) The name of the cognizant or oversight agency for audit determined in accordance with § 99.400(a) and § 99.400(b), respectively. (3) Using the information included in the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section, the auditor shall complete the applicable sections of the form. The auditor shall sign a statement to be included as part of the data collection form that indicates, at a minimum, the source of the information included in the form, the auditor's responsibility for the information, that the form is not a substitute for the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section, and that the content of the form is limited to the data elements prescribed by OMB. (c) Reporting package. The reporting package shall include the: (1) Financial statements and schedule of expenditures of Federal awards discussed in § 99.310(a) and § 99.310(b), respectively; (2) Summary schedule of prior audit findings discussed in § 99.315(b); (3) Auditor's report(s) discussed in § 99.505; and (4) Corrective action plan discussed in § 99.315(c). (d) Submission to clearinghouse. All auditees shall submit to the Federal clearinghouse designated by OMB the data collection form described in paragraph (b) of this section and one copy of the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section for: (1) The Federal clearinghouse to retain as an archival copy; and (2) Each Federal awarding agency when the schedule of findings and questioned costs disclosed audit findings relating to Federal awards that the Federal awarding agency provided directly or the summary schedule of prior audit findings reported the status of any audit findings relating to Federal awards that the Federal awarding agency provided directly. (e) Additional submission by subrecipients. (1) In addition to the requirements discussed in paragraph (d) of this section, auditees that are also subrecipients shall submit to each pass-through entity one copy of the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section for each pass-through entity when the schedule of findings and questioned costs disclosed audit findings relating to Federal awards that the pass-through entity provided or the summary schedule of prior audit findings reported the status of any audit findings relating to Federal awards that the pass-through entity provided. (2) Instead of submitting the reporting package to a pass-through entity, when a subrecipient is not required to submit a reporting package to a pass-through entity pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the subrecipient shall provide written notification to the pass-through entity that: an audit of the subrecipient was conducted in accordance with this part (including the period covered by the audit and the name, amount, and CFDA number of the Federal award(s) provided by the pass-through entity); the schedule of findings and questioned costs disclosed no audit findings relating to the Federal award(s) that the pass-through entity provided; and, the summary schedule of prior audit findings did not report on the status of any audit findings relating to the Federal award(s) that the pass-through entity provided. A subrecipient may submit a copy of the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section to a pass-through entity to comply with this notification requirement. (f) Requests for report copies. In response to requests by a Federal agency or pass-through entity, auditees shall submit the appropriate copies of the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section and, if requested, a copy of any management letters issued by the auditor. (g) Report retention requirements. Auditees shall keep one copy of the data collection form described in paragraph (b) of this section and one copy of the reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this section on file for three years from the date of submission to the Federal clearinghouse designated by OMB. Pass-through entities shall keep subrecipients' submissions on file for three years from date of receipt. (h) Clearinghouse responsibilities. The Federal clearinghouse designated by OMB shall distribute the reporting packages received in accordance with paragraph (d)(2) of this section and § 99.235(c)(3) to applicable Federal awarding agencies, maintain a data base of completed audits, provide appropriate information to Federal agencies, and follow up with known auditees which have not submitted the required data collection forms and reporting packages. (i) Clearinghouse address. The address of the Federal clearinghouse currently designated by OMB is: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, Bureau of the Census, 1201 E. 10th Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47132. (j) Electronic filing. Nothing in this part shall preclude electronic submissions to the Federal clearinghouse in such manner as may be approved by OMB. With OMB approval, the Federal clearinghouse may pilot test methods of electronic submissions.

Starting a business? Corpus forms LLCs in all 50 states and DC.