FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 31: Contract Cost Principles and Procedures › Subpart 31.2

FAR 31.205-27 Organization costs.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section makes most costs of organizing or reorganizing a company's corporate structure unallowable for government contracts, including merger and acquisition costs and costs of raising capital. It also makes costs of resisting a reorganization or a change in controlling ownership unallowable. Costs of activities mainly meant to compensate employees are not treated as organization costs and are governed by the compensation cost rule instead.

Applies to: Contractors claiming organization, reorganization, or capital-raising costs on government contracts

Key terms: organization costs · reorganization · raising capital · controlling interest · compensation

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, expenditures in connection with (1) planning or executing the organization or reorganization of the corporate structure of a business, including mergers and acquisitions, (2) resisting or planning to resist the reorganization of the corporate structure of a business or a change in the controlling interest in the ownership of a business, and (3) raising capital (net worth plus long-term liabilities), are unallowable. Such expenditures include but are not limited to incorporation fees and costs of attorneys, accountants, brokers, promoters and organizers, management consultants and investment counselors, whether or not employees of the contractor. Unallowable reorganization costs include the cost of any change in the contractor's financial structure, excluding administrative costs of short-term borrowings for working capital, resulting in alterations in the rights and interests of security holders, whether or not additional capital is raised.

(b) The cost of activities primarily intended to provide compensation will not be considered organizational costs subject to this subsection, but will be governed by 31.205-6. These activities include acquiring stock for (1) executive bonuses, (2) employee savings plans, and (3) employee stock ownership plans.

Sections it refers to

  • 31.205-6 Compensation for personal services.

Sections that refer to it

← 31.205-26 Material costs. · 31.205-28 Other business expenses. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 31

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.