Code of Federal Regulations (alpha)

CFR /  Title 48  /  Part 9903  /  9903.302-4 Illustrations of changes which do not meet the definition of ``Change to a cost accounting practice.''------------------------------------------------------------------------

(a) Changes in the interest rate levels (a) Adopting the increase

in the national economy have (decrease) in the interest

invalidated the prior actuarial rate actuarial assumption is

assumption with respect to anticipated not a change in cost

investment earnings. The pension plan accounting practice.

administrators adopted an increased

(decreased) interest rate actuarial

assumption. The company allocated the

resulting pension costs to all final

cost objectives.(b) The basic benefit amount for a (b) The increase in the amount

company's pension plan is increased of the benefits is not a

from $8 to $10 per year of credited change in cost accounting

service. The change increases the practice.

dollar amount of pension cost

allocated to all final cost objectives.(c) A contractor who has never paid (c) The initial adoption of an

pensions establishes for the first accounting practice for the

time a pension plan. Pension costs for first time incurrence of a

the first year amounted to $3.5 cost is not a change in cost

million. accounting practice.(d) A contractor maintained a Deferred (d) There was a termination of

Incentive Compensation Plan. After the Deferred Incentive

several years' experience, the plan Compensation Plan. Elimination

was determined not to be attaining its of a cost is not a change in

objective, so it was terminated, and cost accounting practice.

no future entitlements were paid.

(e) A contractor eliminates a segment (e) The projects and expenses

that was operated for the purpose of related to nuclear energy

doing research for development of projects have been terminated.

products related to nuclear energy. No transfer of these projects

and no further work in this

area is planned. This is an

elimination of cost and not a

change in cost accounting

practice.(f) For a particular class of assets (f) The change in estimate (not

for which technological changes have in method) is not a change in

rarely affected asset lives, a cost accounting practice. The

contractor starts with a 5-year contractor has not changed the

average of historical lives to method or technique used to

estimate future lives. He then determine the estimate. The

considers technological changes and methodology applied has

likely use. For the past several years indicated a change in the

the process resulted in an estimated estimated life, and this is

future life of 10 years for this class not a change in cost

of assets. This year a technological accounting practice.

change leads to a prediction of a

useful life of 7 years for the assets

acquired this year for the class of

assets.(g) The marketing department of a (g) After the organization

segment has reported directly to the change in the company's

general manager of the segment. The reporting structure, the

costs of the marketing department have parties agree that the

been combined as part of the segment's appropriate recognition of the

G&A; expense pool. The company beneficial or causal

reorganizes and requires the marketing relationship between the costs

department to report directly to a of the marketing department

vice president at corporate and the segment is to continue

headquarters. to combine these costs as part

of the segment's G&A; expense

pool. Thus, the organizational

change has not resulted in a

change in cost accounting

practice.------------------------------------------------------------------------