What is an example of an allowable cost?

Asked by: Ms. Samanta VonRueden  |  Last update: April 27, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (73 votes)

Per Uniform Guidance, examples of normally allowable costs include: Salaries of technical staff working on the project. Laboratory supplies used on the project. Long distance telephone charges associated with the project.

What are the allowable costs?

Allowable expenses are essential business costs that are not taxable. Allowable expenses aren't considered part of a company's taxable profits. You therefore don't pay tax on these expenses.

What is not an allowable cost?

Allowable costs are charges incurred by a program that can be covered with your Office of Justice Programs (OJP) grant. Unallowable costs are charges incurred by a program that cannot be covered or reimbursed by your OJP grant. requested in a budget is awarded, does not ensure a determination of allowability.

How do you determine when a cost is allowable?

(a) A cost is allowable only when the cost complies with all of the following requirements: (1) Reasonableness. (2) Allocability. (3) Standards promulgated by the CAS Board, if applicable, otherwise, generally accepted accounting principles and practices appropriate to the circumstances.

What are allowable costs under a federal grant?

“Allowable Costs” refers to items of cost, that in general, are costs that can be funded with federal grant dollars as long as the cost fits within a framework of responsible stewardship of public funds.

How to Determine an Allowable Cost

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What are examples of allowable costs?

Per Uniform Guidance, examples of normally allowable costs include:
  • Salaries of technical staff working on the project.
  • Laboratory supplies used on the project.
  • Long distance telephone charges associated with the project.
  • Printing and duplicating reports for the project.
  • Animal and animal care related to the project.

What is needed to make a normally reasonable cost an allowable expense in a grant?

“Allowable” costs must: Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable to that award. Duplicative or unnecessary purchases are not “allowable” and are not eligible for reimbursement from Federal grant funds. Conform to any limitations set forth in this Policy or in the grant.

Is grant writing an allowable cost?

Grant writing and reporting costs that are required as part of the terms of the Award are allowable. For example, progress reports, annual reports, and/or technical reports are required and therefore, would be allowable. Proposal costs, however, would not be an allowable expense. See the FAQ on Proposal Costs.

Is food allowable on a federal grant?

The cost of food and beverages, because they are easily associated with a specific cost objective, such as a Department grant, are properly treated as direct costs, rather than indirect costs. As noted above, Federal grant funds cannot be used to pay for food and beverages unless doing so is reasonable and necessary.

What are the eligible costs?

Eligible costs are the cost base from which is the maximum Community grant is determined, expressed as a maximum amount and percentage of such eligible costs.

What is the maximum allowable cost?

Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) pricing is a payment model contractually agreed to in the marketplace by all participants. The model ensures that those purchasing health insurance benefits, including consumers, do not overpay for generic drugs.

What are costs that Cannot be measured?

Implicit costs are technically not incurred and cannot be measured accurately for accounting purposes. There are no cash exchanges in the realization of implicit costs. But they are an important consideration because they help managers make effective decisions for the company.

What is not allowable expenses?

On the other hand, disallowable expenses are costs that are not considered necessary or solely for business purposes. These expenses cannot be deducted from your taxable income.

What items are 100% tax deductible?

What Is a 100 Percent Tax Deduction?
  • Furniture purchased entirely for office use is 100 percent deductible in the year of purchase.
  • Office equipment, such as computers, printers and scanners are 100 percent deductible.
  • Business travel and its associated costs, like car rentals, hotels, etc. is 100 percent deductible.

What are the three most common types of costs?

There are three major types of expenses we all pay: fixed, variable, and periodic. Understanding the difference is important when creating your budget.

What are far allowable costs?

Allowable – Costs that, if allocable to a cost objective and reasonable, may be legitimately claimed as costs under a Federal contract. Expressly Unallowable – Costs that are never allowed under a Federal Contract, are specifically defined in the FAR 31.202 and must be removed from claimed costs.

What are allowable and unallowable costs?

A sponsoring agency may state that certain costs are not reimbursable even though they are considered allowable by federal regulations. These costs are unallowable and must be excluded from billing. Costs incurred in support of a specific agreement that are non-reimbursable may constitute cost sharing.

How much can you claim for food?

You can figure your meals expense using either the actual cost method or the standard meal allowance method. Both methods allow 50% of the cost of your meals to be deducted, depending on what kind of meals they are and what your occupation is.

How much of a grant should go to salaries?

Personnel costs typically account for 50-80% of a typical grant budget. Personnel may include: You, the PI. You will usually put in some % of your time (eg 10%, or 1.2 cal-months).

What percentage of a grant does a grant writer get?

When working with a grant consultant, it's typically that they'll charge between 2-5% of the total grant amount. It's important to stress that you can't use awarded grant funds to pay the writer and paying a commission or success fee is unethical.

What not to do when writing a grant?

10 Most Common Grant Writing Mistakes
  1. Not following instructions. ...
  2. Failing to thoroughly research the funders' interests. ...
  3. Focusing the proposal on the needs of your organization. ...
  4. Careless editing. ...
  5. Preaching to the choir. ...
  6. Not asking for the money. ...
  7. Asking for the wrong amount. ...
  8. Submitting sloppy budgets.

What is needed to make a normally unreasonable cost an allowable expense in a grant?

The cost needs to be in furtherance of the goals of the grant. For a normally unreasonable cost to be allowable in a grant, it must directly contribute to the objectives and goals of the grant. This means that the expense should be justified as necessary and essential for achieving the intended outcomes of the grant.

What are allowable expenses?

Allowable expenses are essential costs that keep your business running properly. They're tax deductible, which means you don't pay tax on the money you've spent.

What do you consider when determining if a cost is allowable?

A cost is allowable when:
  • Its purpose is specifically related to the sponsored award and necessary for project performance.
  • It provides benefit in proportion to the amount charged.
  • It is in agreement with Institute policies.

Are office supplies allowed on federal grants?

In accordance with the Federal regulations, routine charges for administrative-type costs such as office supplies, postage and memberships may not be charged directly to Federal grants and contracts.