Sponsored Projects Office, University of California, Berkeley
UC Definition of Equipment
UC Raises Equipment Threshold to $5,000

The University of California currently uses a minimum dollar threshold of $1,500 in its definition of equipment for purposes of capitalization, inventory, and indirect cost application and calculation. Effective July 1, 2004, the university is raising the equipment capitalization level to $5,000. Equipment will be defined as articles of nonexpendable tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year, and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.

To moderate the effect of this change on contracts and grants, there will be a two-year phase-in period. Equipment costing $1,500 or more projected to be received before July 1, 2006 should be included as equipment in proposal budgets. Items fitting the equipment definition costing $5,000 or more projected to be received on or after July 1, 2006 should be included as equipment; items costing less than $5,000 projected to be received on or after July 1, 2006 should be included as supplies.

UC Berkeley Equipment Management

UC Berkeley Campus Policies and Procedures Update
    Changing the Capitalization Threshold for Equipment
        memo from John Ellis, Assistant Controller (6/22/04)

    Questions and Answers: Word
        UC Berkeley (6/22/04)

UC Office of the President Policy and Guidance
    Implementation Plan -- Changing the University's Definition of Equipment
        memo from Vice President Broome, UC Office of the President (4/7/04)

    Implementation Plan -- Changing the University's Definition of Equipment: Q&A (PDF)
        memo from Vice President Broome, UC Office of the President (6/4/04)

    Questions and Answers: HTML / Word
        UC Office of the President (6/3/04)


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