Big Changes Coming to the Cost Accounting Standards for Government Contractors

On Sunday, December 7, 2025, Congress put out a compromise version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). There is a lot in this version, but I wanted to bring to your attention the exciting possible changes to the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Regulations, Export & Import, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

Why Employment Analytics Still Matter After EO 11246 Was Revoked

EO 14173 revoked EO 11246 Equal Employment Opportunity, which required covered federal contractors to practice affirmative action, develop written Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs) and implement compliant programs directed towards equal opportunities for women and minorities. This major change left contractors with a choice: set aside all efforts previously made toward compliance with EO 11246, or continue with employment analytics under a framework acceptable under EO 14173. In this article, we explain why we encourage you to consider the continuation of these efforts.

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Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Human Resources, Government Regulations, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Service Contract Act

What Government Contractors Should Expect from DCAA Audits After the Shutdown

Well, our friendly DCAA auditors are back after the Government shutdown. On December 2, 2025, Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) issued a memorandum to their auditors titled, “Actions Required for Assignment Due Dates Following Furloughs.”

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Topics: Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE), Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations

Are You Prepared for the 2025 Compliance Supplement and Audit Changes

On November 26, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the 2025 Compliance Supplement. The Supplement outlines the compliance requirements to assist auditors in understanding the Federal program’s objectives, procedures and requirements when performing a Single audit for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2024. The Compliance Supplement is normally issued in the spring of each year; however, OMB delayed its issuance to incorporate significant updates to 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, in October 2024. In order to assist auditors with the different requirements, Part 3 Compliance Requirements of the Supplement was divided into two Parts for audit testing as follows:

  • Part 3.1 for awards subject to 2 CFR 200 prior to October 2024 and
  • Part 3.2 for awards after October 1, 2024
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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

Do Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Requirements Apply to Grants?

The Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule on September 10, 2025, amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to incorporate the requirements of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for FAR-based contracts and subcontracts, effective November 10, 2025.

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Topics: Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Cybersecurity, Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

How EO 14173 Is Evolving and What It Means for Your HR Compliance

The January 2025 EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, triggered mixed emotions amongst HR professionals in the GovCon community – shock, disappointment, and celebration, to name a few. While all might not agree with the requirements of EO 14173, most likely agree that it has caused a great deal of confusion and uncertainty about what is expected, or, more importantly, what is no longer allowed of government contractors. In a previous article released shortly after the EO was signed, we outlined the crux of the EO and overarching implications. As time has passed and more information has come to light, including Attorney General Bondi’s July 2025 memo for federal agencies, we are gleaning additional insights to share.

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Topics: Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Human Resources, Government Regulations, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Service Contract Act

QuickBooks Year-End Checklist for Government Contractors

Closing out the year is an important step in your accounting cycle, and it should involve more than just “closing the books.” For government contractors, year-end is about ensuring your financials are accurate, compliant, and audit-ready, not just for tax purposes, but to support ongoing contract and regulatory requirements.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Small Business Compliance, Quickbooks, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

SBA Releases Its Estimate of the Government Shutdown Impact on Small Business Lending

On October 21, 2025, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a state-level analysis or estimate of the impact of a government shutdown on small business lending. The shutdown has frozen the SBA’s core 7(a) and 504 small-business lending programs. These lending programs are designed to support small businesses’ access to funds to acquire or improve long-term fixed assets such as real estate, machinery, and equipment.

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Topics: Accounting System Compliance, Small Business Compliance, Government Regulations

DFARS Final Rule for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program

Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule on September 10, 2025, amending Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), incorporating contractual requirements under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020 to enhance cybersecurity for the US defense industrial base. The final rule is effective November 10, 2025.

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Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Cybersecurity

Recent ITAR Amendments Expand the U.S. Munitions List and Indicate Further Expansion

The U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has finalized a significant set of amendments to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), effective September 15, 2025, which expand the U.S. Munitions List (USML) and introduce new definitions and a licensing exemption. These changes mark the first time in years that DDTC has expanded the USML’s coverage more than it has reduced it. The final rule amends 15 of the 21 USML categories, representing a substantial increase in the number of controlled items.

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Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Export & Import, Material Management & Accounting System (MMAS), Manufacturing Operations Consulting