Accounting Scenarios EPL Fund

4/16/2021 1

BACKGROUND

Section 4001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), enacted on March 11, 2021, established a new category of paid leave for selected Federal 

employees. Eligibility for the leave is based on certain COVID-19-related qualifying circumstances. This emergency paid leave is funded by a $570 million Emergency Federal 

Employee Leave Fund (Fund) and administered by OPM. Amounts in the Fund shall be available for reimbursement to an agency for the use of paid leave under this section 

by any covered employee of the agency who is unable to work because of certain COVID-19-related qualifying circumstances. Each agency with covered employees using 

emergency paid leave must submit to OPM a request for reimbursement from the Fund. 

OMB/Treasury has established a unique Treasury Account Fund Symbol (TAFS) under OPM agency identification code (024-2021/2022-0806). 

ACCOUNTING SCENARIOS FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT TRANSACTIONS

Agency’s request for reimbursement should be based on disbursements to eligible employees. The two scenarios below relate to the timing of the reimbursements affecting 

TAFSs. In this presentation, additional entries related to Budgetary Resources (e.g., appropriation, spending authority from offsetting collections, etc.) of the requesting 

agency, and the Status for Budgetary Resources (e.g., apportionments, allotments) of OPM and the requesting agency are not shown.

PURPOSE

To present proposed guidance on the accounting for the emergency paid leave reimbursement activity by OPM and the agencies seeking reimbursements from the Fund.

SCENARIO 1 – Current year activity, including agencies’ reimbursement requests submitted, approved and paid for emergency 

paid leave disbursed in FY 2021. 

a. To record the payroll payment (Paid 

Leave) by the requesting agency. Also 

record TC B234 for direct appropriations.

SCENARIO 2 – Subsequent year (FY 

2022) activity, including agencies’ 

reimbursement requests submitted 

and/or approved in FY 2021 or FY 2022 

but paid to the requesting agency for 

emergency paid leave disbursed in FY 

Requesting Agency DR CR 2022. 

TC: B102

Budgetary Entry

461000 Allotment 50

490200 Del. Orders-Ob Pd 50

Proprietary Entry

610000 Operating Exp. 50

101000 Fund Bal W/Treas 50

OPM DR CR

TC: B107

Budgetary Entry

461000 Allotment 50

490200 Del. Orders- Ob Pd 50

Proprietary Entry

610000 Operating Exp. 50

101000 Fund Bal W/Treas 50

b. To record a disbursement out of the 

Fund to reimburse requesting agency 

TC: B234

Budgetary Entry

N/A

Proprietary Entry

310710 Unexp. App. Used 50

570010 Exp Appr – Disb. 50

Requesting Agency DR CR

TC: C134

Budgetary Entry

490200 Del. Orders- Ob Pd 50

461000 Allotment 50

Proprietary Entry

101000 Fund Bal W/Treas 50

610000 Operating Exp 50

Requesting Agency DR CR

TC: C132

Budgetary Entry

497200 Downward Adj. of 

Prior Yr Pd Del. Orders 50

445000 Unapp. Auth. Or

465000 Allot. Exp. Auth. 50

Proprietary Entry

101000 Fund Bal W/Treas 50

610000 Operating Exp 50

c. To record the reimbursement entry 

as refunds collected to paid 

obligations. Also, reverse TC B234 for 

direct appropriations.