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Transportation of Household Goods and Excess Weight

B-199545 Aug 22, 1980
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Highlights

A certifying officer for the Internal Revenue Service requested an opinion on the proper method of computing excess weight charges of household goods in the case of a transferred employee. The employee had been authorized transportation of his household goods by actual expense basis limited to a maximum allowable weight, which he exceeded. The employee questioned the method of computation used in determining the amount he owed for the excess weight. He felt that he should pay the total amount billed minus whatever the allowable weight would have cost. However, the method prescribed by Federal Travel Regulations requires that the excess weight charge be computed from the total charges according to the ratio of excess weight to the total weight of the shipment. Regardless of the reasons for the shipment of the excessive weight of household goods, the law does not permit payment of charges incurred incident to shipment of the excess weight. Federal Travel Regulations may not be waived or modified by the employing agency regardless of the existence of any extenuating circumstances. The employee was required to pay the charges incurred incident to the shipment of the excess weight as correctly computed.

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