The terms that show up on a Single Audit and its findings, in plain language — each tied to its section of 2 CFR 200. For a fuller walkthrough see the compliance guide and the FAQ.
The audit itself
Single Audit
An organization-wide audit of a non-federal entity that expends federal award funds, covering both the financial statements and compliance with the rules attached to the federal money — one audit instead of a separate audit for every grant. Governed by 2 CFR 200 Subpart F (the Uniform Guidance); formerly the “OMB A-133 audit.” See the FAQ for how it differs from a plain financial statement audit.
Program-specific audit
An alternative to a full Single Audit, available when an entity expends federal awards under only one federal program and that program's statute doesn't require a financial statement audit. It audits the one program rather than the whole entity. 2 CFR 200.507.
Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
OMB's government-wide rules for federal awards, at 2 CFR Part 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.” Subpart F is the Single Audit part. Effective December 2014; it superseded OMB Circular A-133.
Single Audit threshold
The level of federal award expenditures in a fiscal year that triggers the requirement: $1,000,000 for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024, and $750,000 before that (2 CFR 200.501). It's based on funds expended, aggregated across every federal program — not funds received or awarded.
Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC)
The federal government's official repository for Single Audit reporting packages, at fac.gov. Every Single Audit must be submitted there and the resulting data is public record. Operated by the General Services Administration (previously the Census Bureau). This site is built entirely on that public data.
Reporting package
What the auditee submits to the FAC: the financial statements and SEFA, the summary schedule of prior audit findings, the auditor's reports, the schedule of findings and questioned costs, and the corrective action plan. Due within the earlier of 30 days after receipt of the auditor's reports or nine months after the audit period ends (2 CFR 200.512).
Data Collection Form (SF-SAC)
The structured form filed with the reporting package summarizing the audit results — auditee identification, the federal programs covered, and each finding. It's the source of most of the machine-readable data the FAC publishes.
Who is involved
Auditee
The non-federal entity being audited — a state, local government, federally recognized tribe, institution of higher education, or nonprofit that expends federal awards.
Pass-through entity
A non-federal entity that passes a federal award to a subrecipient to carry out part of a federal program. It must monitor that subrecipient's use of the funds and compliance — see the monitoring guide (2 CFR 200.332).
Subrecipient
An entity that receives a federal award from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a federal program. Distinct from a contractor, which provides goods or services for the pass-through entity's own use — the distinction drives who owes the Single Audit (2 CFR 200.331).
Cognizant agency for audit
For an auditee expending more than $50 million a year in federal awards, the one federal agency assigned to provide audit oversight — generally the predominant direct funder. It reviews audit quality and coordinates management decisions (2 CFR 200.513).
Oversight agency for audit
The federal awarding agency that provides the most direct funding to an auditee that doesn't have a cognizant agency (expends $50 million a year or less). An entity has one or the other, never both.
Auditor
An independent CPA firm, or a state/local government audit organization, that performs the Single Audit and meets the independence and CPE standards of Government Auditing Standards (the Yellow Book). The auditor directory lists every firm that has filed one with the FAC.
What gets tested
Federal award
Federal financial assistance received directly from a federal agency or indirectly through a pass-through entity — grants, cooperative agreements, loans, loan guarantees, food commodities, and other assistance. Ordinary procurement contracts for goods and services are not federal awards.
Expenditures of federal awards
The measure that drives both the audit threshold and major program selection. Beyond cash outlays it includes disbursements to subrecipients, the use of loan proceeds, and the value of property or commodities received (2 CFR 200.502).
Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA)
A schedule the auditee prepares listing every federal award expended in the period — by program, Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number, and agency — separately identifying pass-through funding and amounts provided to subrecipients (2 CFR 200.510(b)). Every organization page on this site has a Federal awards & risk assessment view built from it.
Major program
A federal program the auditor selects for in-depth compliance testing under the risk-based approach in 2 CFR 200.518 — starting from the Type A / Type B dollar split, then adjusting for risk. The compliance opinion is given per major program.
Type A and Type B programs
The size split in major program determination. Type A programs sit above a threshold that scales with total federal expenditures (floor of $750,000); Type B programs sit below it. Type A programs are tested as major more often; a risk-assessed subset of Type B programs is added (2 CFR 200.518).
Low-risk auditee
An auditee that met every criterion in 2 CFR 200.520 for both preceding years — audits done and filed on time, unmodified opinions on the financials and SEFA, no going-concern doubt, and no material weaknesses or material noncompliance in major programs. The reward: the auditor must cover only 20% of total federal expenditures instead of 40%. Losing it roughly doubles audit scope — a real recurring cost. This site badges it per audit year.
Compliance requirement
One of the categories of award rules the auditor tests for major programs — allowable activities and costs, cash management, eligibility, matching, period of performance, procurement, reporting, subrecipient monitoring, and more. Each is a letter (A–P) detailed in the annual OMB Compliance Supplement — the guide breaks them down.
Findings
Audit finding
A deficiency the auditor must report — in internal control over compliance, in compliance itself, questioned costs above $25,000, fraud, or a substantially wrong SEFA. Numbered (e.g. 2024-001) and written up with condition, criteria, cause, effect, and recommendation (2 CFR 200.516). Findings are the core of what this site surfaces per organization.
Questioned cost
A cost the auditor questions — possible violation of an award term, inadequate documentation, or an unreasonable amount. Reported as a finding when known questioned costs for a program exceed $25,000, split into known (specifically identified) and likely (projected from a sample). A questioned cost is not the same as a disallowed cost — that comes later, if the agency makes it so.
Material weakness
A deficiency (or combination) in internal control over compliance severe enough that material noncompliance with a program could go unprevented or undetected. The most severe internal-control category — this site badges it per finding.
Significant deficiency
A deficiency in internal control over compliance less severe than a material weakness but still important enough to report to those charged with governance.
Material noncompliance
Noncompliance with a major program's requirements large enough to have a material effect on the program — it produces a modified (qualified, adverse, or disclaimer) compliance opinion for that program.
Repeat finding
A finding also reported in a prior audit and not fully resolved — listed on the summary schedule of prior audit findings with the earlier finding number. A pattern of them is a risk factor in major-program selection and can cost an auditee its low-risk status. Each repeat finding on this site shows the prior-year reference.
Going concern
Substantial doubt, disclosed in the audit, about the entity's ability to keep operating for a reasonable period. It disqualifies an auditee from low-risk status — this site badges the audit years where it was disclosed.
After the audit
Corrective action plan (CAP)
The auditee's written plan — on its own letterhead, separate from the auditor's findings — addressing each current-year finding: responsible contact, planned action, and target completion date (2 CFR 200.511(c)). This site shows the CAP text alongside each finding.
Summary schedule of prior audit findings
A schedule the auditee prepares reporting the status of each prior-year finding — corrected, not corrected (with reasons), or no longer valid (2 CFR 200.511(b)). It's how repeat findings are identified.
Management decision
The written determination by a pass-through entity or federal agency on whether it agrees with a finding and what corrective action (including repayment) is required. Due within six months of the FAC accepting the audit report (2 CFR 200.521) — the guide explains the clock, and the portfolio view computes the deadline for every finding.
Disallowed cost
A charge that the agency or pass-through entity determines, in a management decision, to be unallowable — usually with repayment. A questioned cost becomes disallowed only when that call is made.
Audit resolution
The whole process of acting on findings — issuing management decisions, tracking corrective action to completion, and closing findings out.
These definitions are independent explanations of 2 CFR 200 (the OMB Uniform Guidance), not legal advice and not an official publication of OMB, GSA, or any federal agency. Verify anything that matters against the current text at eCFR.gov.
