Code of Federal Regulations Title 31. Money and Finance–Treasury § 31.391.0 Scope of regulations

These regulations apply to the waiver of late charges on claims due the Bureau of the Fiscal Service as authorized by 31 U.S.C. 3717(h). They are consistent with the Federal Claims Collection Standards on interest, administrative costs, and penalties prescribed jointly by the General Accounting Office and the Department of Justice and set forth in 4 CFR 102.13. The term “claim” as used in this part refers to an amount of money or property that has been determined to be owed to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service from any person, organization, or entity, except another Federal agency. The term “late charges” as used in this part includes interest, administrative costs, and penalties. When applying the following regulations, a distinction shall be drawn between an adjustment and a waiver. An adjustment is an account correction under any circumstances where the Bureau records a claim or accrues late charges to which it is not legally entitled. An adjustment may be made without the promulgation of regulations. A waiver applies whenever the Bureau accrues late charges it is entitled to assess and later relinquishes that right. Two examples of an adjustment are:  (a) Where the underlying claim is without merit, and (b) where the debtor is not notified of the claim as required by 31 U.S.C. 3717. The latter includes being misinformed as to the amount of the charges or the time of their commencement.