Congress Pushes Back on NIH and DoD’s Use of Indirect Cost Limitations and Rate Caps for Grants

Congress has directed NIH and the Department of Defense to maintain negotiated indirect cost rates and restrict the use of rate caps within recent appropriations legislation. The update may affect grant funding, reimbursement expectations, and agreement terms. Organizations should understand how timing and regulatory alignment influence existing and future awards.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

Congress Prohibits DOE and Other Agencies from Applying Indirect Rate Caps on Grants

Congress and recent appropriations legislation have restricted federal agencies from applying indirect cost rate caps on grants, reinforcing the use of negotiated rates. The change affects DOE and other agencies and may require organizations to review award terms, reimbursement eligibility, and timing considerations tied to indirect cost recovery.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

DoD Issues FAR and DFARS Revolutionary Overhaul Class Deviations Effective as Early as January 2026

Department of Defense class deviations are implementing the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul across multiple FAR and DFARS parts, with effective dates beginning as early as February 1, 2026. These changes affect clause structure, regulatory language, and timing considerations, requiring contractors to closely evaluate solicitations, flowdowns, and contract terms to maintain alignment with updated requirements.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

Deltek Costpoint’s New IRS Form 1099 Correction Functionality

Deltek has announced many new improvements over the past 2 years. From a completely new User Interface to simpler solutions, Deltek is working to create a more “harmonious” experience for its users. Today, we are going to review a newly released functionality that will hopefully reduce manual effort in correcting IRS Form 1099.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Deltek Costpoint

2026 NDAA Increases the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Act (TINA) Threshold to $10 Million

Government contractors will see another significant change to the acquisition threshold under the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The Truthful Cost or Pricing Data threshold is increasing to $10 million, creating new considerations for proposals, negotiations, and contract modifications. Multiple threshold updates within a short period have introduced added complexity around timing, clause language, and award dates. Understanding how these changes interact with existing contracts is essential for maintaining consistency and avoiding unnecessary compliance risk.

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Topics: Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Estimating System Compliance

2026 Changes in Procurement Policies Leave Defense Contractors Dealing with Government Symptoms of “Multiple Personality Disorders”

In reference to the now outdated terminology “Multiple Personality Disorders” (now “DID” or Dissociative Identity Disorder), my focus is on two Government actions, the 2026 NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and the very recent EO (Executive Order), “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting.” Before getting into the substance of this blog, just to note that one can only hope that the proposed/legislated changes to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of the procurement process (for the Department of War and more broadly the US Government) will actually succeed and not be just one more set of idealized and unfulfilled political promises.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

Do Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Apply to Fixed Price Contracts and Subcontracts?

Recent statutory changes under the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act revise the applicability thresholds for the Cost Accounting Standards and limit certain post-award contract price adjustments. These updates affect how contractors evaluate fixed-price awards, accounting practice changes, and clause timing, as regulatory implementation is expected within 180 days of enactment.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

Government Contractor Compensation Cap for Calendar Year (CY) 2026

For the last few years, our friends at the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) have been very helpful by publishing the Contractor Compensation Cap in the December timeframe. This year, I am guessing that the Government shutdown has diverted their attention. To help our clients, we have calculated the 2026 amount of the cap.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Employee & Contractor Compensation, Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE), DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

Expect More Grant Awards from DOE on the Genesis Mission to Build an AI Platform

On November 24, 2025, President Trump signed EO 14363, Launching the Genesis Mission to accelerate America’s race for global dominance in the application of AI to scientific discovery and scientific challenges.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE), DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

Whistleblowers Continue to File Qui Tam Suits for Cybersecurity Noncompliance

On December 5, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported another settlement under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to cybersecurity. Swiss Automation agreed to pay $421,234 to the Government as a result of failing to provide adequate cybersecurity controls for drawings of parts supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors. The qui tam suit under the False Claims Act (FCA) was brought forward by a whistleblower, not an Information Technology (IT) employee, but a Quality Control Manager of the company. The whistleblower received $65,291.

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Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Material Management & Accounting System (MMAS), Cybersecurity, Commercial Item Determination