Borrowers are required to provide RUS an annual audit or financial statements.

Method of accounting and preparation of financial statements. Annual organization-wide financial statements must be prepared on the accrual basis of accounting, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), unless State statutes or regulatory agencies provide otherwise, or an exception is granted by the Agency. An organization may maintain its accounting records on a basis other than accrual accounting, and make the necessary adjustments so that annual financial statements are presented on the accrual basis.

Record retention. Each borrower shall retain all records, books, and supporting material for 3 years after the issuance of the audit or management reports. Upon request, this material will be made available to RUS, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Comptroller General, or to their assignees.

Audits. All audits are to be performed in accordance with the latest revision of the generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS), issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. In addition, the audits are also to be performed in accordance with subpart F of 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by USDA through 2 CFR part 400. The type of audit each borrower is required to submit will be designated by RUS. Further guidance on preparing an acceptable audit can be obtained from RUS. It is not intended that audits required by this part be separate and apart from audits performed in accordance with State and local laws. To the extent feasible, the audit work should be done in conjunction with those audits. Audits must be performed annually except as allowed under the provisions for biennial audits provided in subpart F of 2 CFR part 200. Audits are to be submitted to the processing office as soon as possible after receipt of the auditor's report but no later than nine months after the end of the audit period

Borrowers exempt from audits. All borrowers who are exempt from audits, will, within 60 days following the end of each fiscal year, furnish the RUS with annual financial statements, consisting of a verification of the organization's balance sheet and statement of income and expense by an appropriate official of the organization. Forms RD 442-2, “Statement of Budget, Income and Equity,” and 442-3 may be used.

Management reports. These reports will furnish management with a means of evaluating prior decisions and serve as a basis for planning future operations and financial strategies. In those cases where revenues from multiple sources are pledged as security for an RUS loan, two reports will be required; one for the project being financed by RUS and one combining the entire operation of the borrower. In those cases where RUS loans are secured by general obligation bonds or assessments and the borrower combines revenues from all sources, one management report combining all such revenues is acceptable. The following management data will be submitted by the borrower to the processing office. These reports at a minimum will include a balance sheet and income and expense statement.

Quarterly reports. A quarterly management report will be required for the first year for new borrowers and for all borrowers experiencing financial or management problems for one year from the date problems were noted. If the borrower's account is current at the end of the year, the processing office may waive the required reports.

Annual management reports. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year the following will be submitted to the processing office. (If Form RD 442-2 is used as the annual management report, enter data in column three only of Schedule 1, and complete all of Schedule 2.)

Two copies of the management reports and proposed “Annual Budget”.

Financial information may be reported on Form RD 442-2 which includes Schedule 1, “Statement of Budget, Income and Equity” and Schedule 2, “Projected Cash Flow” or information in similar format.

A copy of the rate schedule in effect at the time of submission.

Substitute for management reports. When RUS loans are secured by the general obligation of the public body or tax assessments which total 100 percent of the debt service requirements, the State program official may authorize an annual audit to substitute for other management reports if the audit is received within nine months after the end of the audit period.