[Question Concerning Veterans Administration Funding Fee Reimbursement]

A decision was requested as to whether a transferred Bureau of Land Management employee could be reimbursed for a Veterans Administration (VA) funding fee incurred in connection with the purchase of a residence at his new duty station on the ground that it is similar to a loan origination fee which is reimbursable under Federal Travel Regulations. GAO has held that the VA funding fee is not reimbursable because it is a finance charge. Accordingly, the item was not a reimbursable real estate expense.