Office of Federal Financial Management Single Audit

Each year, the Federal Government provides over $400 billion in grants to State, local and tribal governments, colleges, universities and other non-profit organizations (non-Federal entities). The Single Audit Act of 1984 (with amendment in 1996) and OMB Circular A-133 ("Audits of State, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations") provide audit requirements for ensuring that these funds are expended properly.

All non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more of Federal awards in a year ($300,000 for fiscal year ending on or before December 30, 2003) are required to obtain an annual audit in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (pdf), OMB Circular A-133, the OMB Circular Compliance Supplement and Government Auditing Standards. A single audit is intended to provide a cost-effective audit for non-Federal entities in that one audit is conducted in lieu of multiple audits of individual programs.

Circulars:

A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions (August 8, 2000)

A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments (May 4, 1995)

A-122, Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations (June 1, 1998)

A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements With State and Local Governments (October 7, 1994) (further amended August 29, 1997)

A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations (November 19, 1993) (further amended September 30, 1999)

A-133, Audits of States, Non-Profits, and Local Organizations (includes revisions published in the Federal Register June 27, 2003, and June 26, 2007) (34 pages, 173 kb)

Legislation:

Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (P.L. 104-156)

Single Audit Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-502)

Resources: