Redstone Government Consulting Blog | Small Business Compliance (2)

The McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), aka Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS), requires contractors and subcontractors on covered contracts to provide specified wages and fringe benefits to covered employees (i.e., “service employees”). While that may sound fairly straightforward, there are many nuances and complexities that can cause great concern and angst when working toward compliance with the SCA. At the top of the list of these administrative burdens is the appropriate distribution of Health and Welfare (H&W).

Topics: Employee & Contractor Compensation, Small Business Compliance, Human Resources, HR Huddle, Service Contract Act

Contract Management needs to ensure they set aside enough time and read the contract before they sign it. We understand there are deadlines to meet, but you don’t want to get caught up skimming the contract because it is too lengthy, thinking you know all the clauses by heart, or ignoring legal jargon because you don’t understand it.

Topics: Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Organizational Change Management Consulting

Contractors need to understand the laws for applying state sales and use taxes to purchased goods and services on government contracts. It can be a costly mistake that eats away at your profit.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE), Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Government Property Management, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

Do you have employees in Alabama? There are some changes to the overtime rules you need to be aware of for employers in Alabama.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Government Regulations, Deltek Costpoint

On August 9, 2023, DCAA issued guidance to its auditors revising the real-time labor and material testing requirements. DCAA historically referred to these procedures as Mandatory Annual Audit Requirements (MAARs) 6 and 13. DCAA states in its guidance what its auditors need to know is that “[l]abor and material are two of the most significant cost elements billed under government contracts. As such, one of the primary reasons … [DCAA] audit[s] labor and material costs incurred is to determine the accuracy of the charges. The real-time verification of these costs as they are incurred provides valuable confirmation of the accuracy of the charges and can only be accomplished during the accounting period to which they apply.” I cannot really argue with this statement.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Compliance Training, DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources

In August of 2023, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) changed what is used to refer to as Mandatory Annual Audit Requirements (MAARS) 13 audits to Real-Time Audits of Purchase Existence and Consumption. This change was to eliminate the mandatory part of the requirement and introduce greater flexibility based on the auditor’s risk assessment of the contractor.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Compliance Training, DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources

In August of 2023, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) changed what it called Mandatory Annual Audit Requirements (MAARS) 6 audits to Real-Time Audits of Labor. This change was to eliminate the mandatory part of the requirement and introduce greater flexibility based on the auditor’s risk assessment of the contractor.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Compliance Training, DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources

QuickBooks is considered a government-compliant accounting system and can definitely get the job done for a lot of small government contractors. However, there may come a time when you need to change your accounting system to something that is designed with government contractors in mind.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Quickbooks

Mandatory Annual Audit Requirements (MAARs) 6 (labor) and 13 (material purchases) are two of DCAA’s mandatory annual audit requirements performed for incurred cost audits. These MAARs, established decades ago, have customarily been performed on a “real-time” basis within the year in which the costs were incurred. However, DCAA has recently revised their audit guidance in a Memorandum for Regional Directors (MRD) titled “Revised Procedures for Real-Time Audits of Labor and Purchase Existence and Consumption.”

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Government Compliance Training, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations

The accounting function for a government contractor can be a tedious job at times. Be sure to utilize QuickBooks Online Workflows to its full potential to help simplify the process.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Quickbooks