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Accounting for software at federal agencies addressed in proposal

By Ken Tysiac

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2015. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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A recent proposal is designed to address challenges that federal government agencies have experienced in accounting for internal-use software.

Software development techniques have changed dramatically since the issuance in 1998 of Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS) 10, Accounting for Internal Use Software, by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB).

New terminology and techniques have evolved in the past 17 years that have made it difficult for federal agencies to apply SFFAS 10. 

These challenges are addressed in implementation guidance proposed in an exposure draft issued by FASAB’s Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee (AAPC). The AAPC is seeking comment on a Federal Financial Accounting Technical Release, Implementation Guidance for Internal Use Software.

Comments are sought until Oct. 28 and can be submitted by email at fasab@fasab.gov.

—Ken Tysiac (ktysiac@aicpa.org) is a JofA editorial director.