41 C.F.R. Subpart E—Postpayment Transportation Audits
Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management
No, the mandatory use of prepayment audits will not eliminate postpayment audits because: (a) Postpayment audits will continue for those areas which do not lend themselves to the prepayment audit; and (b) The GSA Audit Division will continue to review and survey the progress of the prepayment audit by performing a postpayment audit on the bills. The GSA Audit Division has a Congressionally mandated responsibility under 31 U.S.C. 3726 to perform oversight on transportation bill payments. During the early startup period for prepayment audits, transportation bills are subject to a possible postpayment audit to discover the effectiveness of the prepayment audit process. Yes, in certain circumstances, the Administrator of General Services or designee may waive the postpayment audit oversight requirements of this subpart on a case by case basis. No, your agency must forward all transportation bills to GSA for a postpayment audit regardless of any waiver allowing for postpayment audit. Your agency must annotate all of its transportation bills submitted for postpayment audit with: (a) The date received from a TSP; (b) A TSP's bill number; (c) Your agency name; (d) A Document Reference Number; (e) The amount requested; (f) The amount paid; (g) The payment voucher number; (h) Complete tender or tariff authority, including contract price (if purchased under the Federal Acquisition Regulation), item or section number; (i) The TSP's taxpayer identification number; and (j) The TSP's standard carrier alpha code (SCAC). When GSA performs a postpayment audit, the GSA Audit Division has the delegated authority to implement the following procedures: (a) Audit selected TSP bills after payment; (b) Audit selected TSP bills before payment as needed to protect the Government's interest (i.e., bankruptcy, fraud); (c) Examine, settle, and adjust accounts involving payment for transportation and related services for the account of agencies; (d) Adjudicate and settle transportation claims by and against agencies; (e) Offset an overcharge by any TSP from an amount subsequently found to be due that TSP; (f) Issue a Notice of Overcharge stating that a TSP owes a debt to the agency. This notice states the amount paid, the basis for the proper charge for the document reference number, and cites applicable tariff or tender along with other data relied on to support the overcharge. A separate Notice of Overcharge is prepared and mailed for each bill; and (g) Issue a GSA Notice of Indebtedness when a TSP owes an ordinary debt to an agency. This notice states the basis for the debt, the TSP's rights, interest, penalty, and other results of nonpayment. The debt is due immediately and subject to interest charges, penalties, and administrative cost under 31 U.S.C. 3717. When the GSA Audit Division performs a postpayment audit for your agency, GSA will: (a) Examine and analyze payments to discover their validity, relevance and conformity with tariffs, quotations, contracts, agreements or tenders and make adjustments to protect the interest of an agency; (b) Examine, adjudicate, and settle transportation claims by and against the agency; (c) Collect from TSPs by refund, setoff, offset or other means, the amounts determined to be due the agency; (d) Adjust, terminate or suspend debts due on TSP overcharges; (e) Prepare reports to the Attorney General of the United States with recommendations about the legal and technical bases available for use in prosecuting or defending suits by or against an agency and provide technical, fiscal, and factual data from relevant records; (f) Provide transportation specialists and lawyers to serve as expert witnesses, assist in pretrial conferences, draft pleadings, orders, and briefs, and participate as requested in connection with transportation suits by or against an agency; (g) Review agency policies, programs, and procedures to determine their adequacy and effectiveness in the audit of freight or passenger transportation payments, and review related fiscal and transportation practices; (h) Furnish information on rates, fares, routes, and related technical data upon request; (i) Tell an agency of irregular shipping routing practices, inadequate commodity descriptions, excessive transportation cost authorizations, and unsound principles employed in traffic and transportation management; and (j) Confer with individual TSPs or related groups and associations presenting specific modes of transportation to resolve mutual problems concerning technical and accounting matters and acquainting them with agency requirements. No, the expenses of postpayment audit contract administration and audit-related functions are financed from overpayments collected from the TSP's bills previously paid by the agency and similar type of refunds.
Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 102–118—TRANSPORTATION PAYMENT AND AUDIT
Subpart E—Postpayment Transportation Audits
§ 102-118.415 Will the widespread mandatory use of prepayment audits eliminate postpayment audits?
§ 102-118.420 Can the Administrator of General Services waive the postpayment auditing provisions of this subpart?
§ 102-118.425 Is my agency allowed to perform a postpayment audit on our transportation bills?
§ 102-118.430 What information must be on my agency's transportation bills submitted for a postpayment audit?
§ 102-118.435 What procedures does GSA use to perform a postpayment audit?
§ 102-118.440 What are the postpayment audit responsibilities and roles of the GSA Audit Division?
§ 102-118.445 Must my agency pay for a postpayment audit when using the GSA Audit Division?
