**Nonexpenditure Transfers**

**Balance Transfers Resulting From a Legislative Change of Purpose**

**Effective Fiscal 2011**

**Background**

Nonexpenditure transfers record the movement of fund balance and authority between two Treasury Appropriation Fund Symbol (TAFS) expenditure accounts.  These transfers do not represent payments for goods and services; thus, they do not affect receipts or expenditures, nor do they affect the budget surplus or deficit.

Nonexpenditure transfers of *unobligated balances* are classified as either current-year authority or prior-year balance transfers. Generally, current-year transfers are reported as “Appropriation (budget authority) Transfers,” and prior-year transfers are reported as “Balance Transfers.” There is one exception, other than reappropriations. As outlined in Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-11, Section 20, when an unobligated balance transfer occurs as a result of *specific legislation that changes the purpose* for which the funds will be used, then that transfer is to be reflected as a *transfer of budget authority, that is, Appropriation Transfer*, rather than as a balance transfer.

Nonexpenditure transfers are accomplished via the on-line Governmentwide Accounting (GWA) System NET Application.  When agencies initiate a nonexpenditure transfer, they must select the appropriate transfer type.  The two transfer types relevant to this discussion are **Appropriation Transfers** (transfers of current-year authority) and **Balance Transfers** (transfers of prior-year balances). *Beginning November 2010,* agencies also will be required to select the appropriate budgetary USSGL account applicable to each transaction.

**Issue and Proposal**

Prior to this proposal, USSGL account 4170, “Transfers – Current-Year Authority,” captured both types of activity – transfers of current-year authority, as well as the exception for balance transfers where legislation has changed the purpose.  For Budget purposes and SF 133/P&F displays, that was accurate.  OMB scores both types of activity as transfers of budget authority.  However, a disconnect occurs when comparing the Budget presentations to the presentations in the Treasury Combined Statement (TCS). The TCS displays all transfers of prior-year unobligated unexpired balances as Balance Transfers.  Therefore, having both types of activity in one account (USSGL account 4170) resulted in that account being mapped to two different transfer types in the GWA System NET Application.

In order to avoid the split, while properly allowing the activity to be captured in the Budget and TCS in the appropriate places, two new USSGL accounts were proposed.  These USSGL accounts represent nonexpenditure transfers of unobligated balances (both anticipated and realized) for which legislation has changed the purpose. They flow to the appropriate lines of the budgetary reports (SF 133 and P&F), as well as remain where they are needed for TCS purposes.

*This proposal is effective fiscal 2011 (beginning October 1, 2010). The guidance contained within follows USSGL TFM S2 10-01 (June 2010), Part 2, Fiscal 2011 Reporting.*

USSGL Accounts

**Account Title:**Anticipated****Balance Transfers – Unobligated Balances – Legislative Change of Purpose

**Account Number:**4183

**Normal Balance:**Debit

**Definition:**The amount of anticipated nonexpenditure transfers of prior-year unobligated balances between two unexpired Treasury Appropriation Fund Symbols resulting from legislation that changed the purpose for which the balances are available for obligation. These anticipated transfers are reflected as anticipated transfers of new budget authority on the SF 133: Report on Budget Execution and Budgetary Resources. Although the normal balance for this account is debit, it is acceptable in certain instances for this account to have a credit balance.

***Justification:****To establish an anticipated account that corresponds directly with newly proposed USSGL account 4193, “Balance Transfers - Unobligated Balances - Legislative Change of Purpose.”*

**Account Title:**Balance Transfers – Unobligated Balances – Legislative Change of Purpose

**Account Number:**4193

**Normal Balance:**Debit

**Definition:**The amount of realized nonexpenditure transfers during the fiscal year of prior-year unobligated balances between two unexpired Treasury Appropriation Fund Symbols resulting from legislation that changed the purpose for which the balances are available for obligation. These balance transfers are reflected as transfers of new budget authority on the SF 133: Report on Budget Execution and Budgetary Resources and the Office of Management and Budget Program and Financing (P&F) Schedule. Although the normal balance for this account is debit, it is acceptable in certain instances for this account to have a credit balance.

***Justification:****To make a distinction between nonexpenditure transfers of current-year authority and nonexpenditure balance transfers that result from a legislative change of purpose. With the addition of budgetary USSGL accounts linked to the specific transfer types in the revised Government Wide Accounting NET Module (effective November 2010), a new account is needed so that the activity can crosswalk properly.*

Modified USSGL account

**Account Title:**Transfers - Current-Year Authority

**Account Number:**4170

**Normal Balance:**Debit

**Definition:**The amount of realized nonexpenditure transfers between two Treasury Appropriation Fund Symbols during the fiscal year of current-year unobligated authority. ~~This amount includes transfers of unobligated balances~~~~resulting from legislation that changes the purpose for which the balances are available for obligation.~~ This amount excludes transfers of amounts from invested balances. Although the normal balance for this account is debit, it is acceptable in certain instances for this account to have a credit balance.

***Justification:****To make a distinction between nonexpenditure transfers of current-year authority and nonexpenditure balance transfers that result from a legislative change of purpose. With the addition of budgetary USSGL accounts linked to the specific transfer types in the revised Government Wide Accounting NET Module (effective November 2010), this account must be modified so that the activity can crosswalk properly.*

The following chart illustrates the two transfer types in the GWA System NET Application, the applicable USSGL accounts from which the user will select, and how those accounts flow to the various reports.

**Listing of USSGL Accounts Used in This Scenario**

**USSGL Scenario**

**Assumptions**

1. Activity in this scenario occurs in Year 2 between Unexpired TAFS A (a multi-year TAFS) and Unexpired TAFS B.

2. The BEA Category for TAFS A and TAFS B is discretionary.

**Illustrative Transactions**

# ADJUSTING ENTRY (4th Quarter)

# CLOSING ENTRIES

� I TFM Part 2, Chapter 2000

� In this scenario, “Budget” refers to the Budget of the United States Government: Appendix.

� This chart is based off of the Draft GWA System NET Application Matrix to be included in an upcoming TFM release

� Refer to USSGL TFM S2 10-01 (June 2010), Part 2, Fiscal 2011 Reporting for line descriptions  

� USSGL attributes listed on this table only include those applicable to proposed USSGL accounts 4183 and 4193.

� Refer to TFM S2 10-01 (June 2010), Part 2, Section IV for a listing of domain values.

� The format of and crosswalk for the Statement of Budgetary Resources for fiscal 2011 is under review by the OMB A-136 Subcommittee, as of June 3, 2010.

� Note:  A “combined” SF 133 and Budget Program and Financing (P&F) Schedule crosswalk presentation was implemented 4th quarter fiscal 2010, as a result of OMB Circular No. A-11 (Advance) (March 2010). All sections of the combined crosswalk apply to both the SF 133 and P&F, except for: (1) “Status of Budgetary Resources,” and (2) anticipated amounts, each of which applies only to the SF 133.

PAGE  

1 of 17 

June 3, 2010