(a) Each auditee must have its financial statements audited annually by an auditor selected by the auditee and approved by RUS as set forth in §1773.4. All auditees must submit audited financial statements on a comparative basis covering two consecutive 12 month periods, unless the entity has not been in existence for two consecutive 12-month audit periods. Consolidated statements of the parent are not an acceptable replacement for an audit of the auditee.

(b) Each auditee must establish an annual audit date within 12 months of the date of the first advance and must prepare annual financial statements for the audit date established. Each auditee must notify the AA-PARA of the audit date at least 90 days prior to the selected audit date.

(c) Auditees must furnish a reporting package to RUS within 120 days of the audit date. (See §1773.21). Until all loans made or guaranteed by RUS are repaid and unliquidated obligations rescinded, auditees that are borrowers must continue to provide annual audited financial statements. Auditees that are grantees must furnish annual audited financial statements in the year of the first advance and until all funds have been advanced or rescinded, and all financial compliance requirements have been fully satisfied.

(d) In addition to the requirements of this part, certain auditees may be subject to the Single Audit Act. An auditee that is defined as a Non-Federal Entity as defined in 2 CFR 200.69 means a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or nonprofit organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient and is required to meet the requirements of this part as follows:

(1) Borrowers and/or grantees expending the threshold established for the Single Audit Act (currently $750,000) or more in Federal awards during the year must have an audit performed in accordance with the Single Audit Act. See 2 CFR 200.502, Basis For Determining Federal Awards Expended, for guidance in determining annual expenditures. The audited financial statements must be submitted to RUS and to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

(2) For auditees expending less than the threshold for expenditure in Federal awards during the year, RUS reserves its right under 2 CFR 200.503, Relationship to other audit requirements, to arrange for an audit performed in accordance with this part.

(3) Within 30 days of the audit date, auditees must notify the AA-PARA, in writing, of the total Federal awards expended during the year and must state whether the audit will be performed in accordance with the Single Audit Act, or this part.

(i) An auditee electing to comply with this part must select an auditor that meets the qualifications set forth in §1773.5.

(ii) If an audit is performed in accordance with the Single Audit Act, the auditor's reporting on the financial statements that meet the requirements of the Single Audit Act, will be sufficient to satisfy the auditee's obligations under this part.

(e) Subpart F of 2 CFR part 200 does not apply to audits of RUS electric and telecommunications cooperatives and for-profit telecommunications borrowers unless the borrower has contractually agreed with another Federal agency (e.g. Federal Emergency Management Agency) to provide a financial audit performed in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, subpart F. In no circumstance will an auditee be required to submit separate audits performed in accordance with this part and 2 CFR part 200, subpart F.