Line of Accounting

A Line of Accounting (LOA) is an identification code that specifies the particular budget or funding source for a federal organization's transactions, ensuring costs are accurately charged to the correct fund. It is a key component of the government's cost accounting system, linking specific expenditures back to their original funding source by detailing elements like the fiscal year, appropriation, and object class.

What it is and what it does:

Funding Identification: An LOA acts as a unique identifier for a specific budget fund, similar to an account number for a specific expense. Accurate Charging: It is essential for ensuring that all financial transactions, such as requisitions, are charged to the correct funding source within the government's budget.

Key Data Elements: The code breaks down into various elements, depending on the agency, that specify the funding details, such as:

Service designator

Fiscal year

Appropriation

Subhead

Object class (type of expense)

Plant UIC

Sub-allotment

Work Breakdown Statement (WBS) element or cost element