---
kind: "section"
citation: "11 C.F.R. § 9003.4"
title: "11"
number: "9003.4"
heading: "Expenses incurred prior to the beginning of the expenditure report period or prior to receipt of Federal funds."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/11/9003.4"
---

# §9003.4. Expenses incurred prior to the beginning of the expenditure report period or prior to receipt of Federal funds.

- (a) **Permissible expenditures.**
  - (1) A candidate may incur expenditures before the beginning of the expenditure report period, as defined at [11 CFR 9002.12](/cfr/11/9002.12.md), if such expenditures are for property, services or facilities which are to be used in connection with his or her general election campaign and which are for use during the expenditure report period. Such expenditures will be considered qualified campaign expenses. Examples of such expenditures include but are not limited to: Expenditures for establishing financial accounting systems and expenditures for organizational planning. Expenditures for polling that are incurred before the start of the expenditure report period are attributed as provided in [11 CFR 9034.4(e)(2)](/cfr/11/9034.4.md?p=e-2).
  - (2) A candidate may incur qualified campaign expenses prior to receiving payments under [11 CFR part 9005](/cfr/11/part9005.md).
- (b) **Sources.**
  - (1) A candidate may obtain a loan which meets the requirements of [11 CFR 100.82](/cfr/11/100.82.md) for loans in the ordinary course of business to defray permissible expenditures described in [11 CFR 9003.4(a)](#a). A candidate receiving payments equal to the expenditure limitation in [11 CFR 110.8](/cfr/11/110.8.md) shall make full repayment of principal and interest on such loans from payments received by the candidate under [11 CFR part 9005](/cfr/11/part9005.md) within 15 days of receiving such payments.
  - (2) A major party candidate may borrow from his or her legal and accounting compliance fund for the purposes of defraying permissible expenditures described in [11 CFR 9003.4(a)](#a). All amounts borrowed from the legal and accounting compliance fund must be restored to such fund after the beginning of the expenditure report period either from federal funds received under [11 CFR part 9005](/cfr/11/part9005.md) or private contributions received under [11 CFR 9003.3(b)](/cfr/11/9003.3.md?p=b). For candidates receiving federal funds, restoration shall be made within 15 days after receipt of such funds.
  - (3) A minor or new party candidate may defray such expenditures from contributions received in accordance with [11 CFR 9003.3(c)](/cfr/11/9003.3.md?p=c).
  - (4)
    - (i) A candidate who has received federal funding under [11 CFR part 9031](/cfr/11/part9031.md) et seq., may borrow from his or her primary election committee(s) an amount not to exceed the residual balance projected to remain in the candidate's primary account(s) on the basis of the formula set forth at [11 CFR 9038.3(c)](/cfr/11/9038.3.md?p=c). A major party candidate receiving payments equal to the expenditure limitation shall reimburse amounts borrowed from his or her primary committee(s) from payments received by the candidate under [11 CFR part 9005](/cfr/11/part9005.md) within 15 days of such receipt.
    - (ii) A candidate who has not received federal funding during the primary campaign may borrow at any time from his or her primary account(s) to defray such expenditures, provided that a major party candidate receiving payments equal to the expenditure limitation shall reimburse all amounts borrowed from his or her primary committee(s) from payments received by the candidate under [11 CFR part 9005](/cfr/11/part9005.md) within 15 days of such receipt.
  - (5) A candidate may use personal funds in accordance with [11 CFR 9003.2(c)](/cfr/11/9003.2.md?p=c), up to his or her $50,000 limit, to defray such expenditures.
- (c) **Deposit and disclosure.** Amounts received or borrowed by a candidate under [11 CFR 9003.4(b)](#b) to defray expenditures permitted under [11 CFR 9003.4(a)](#a) shall be deposited in a separate account to be used only for such expenditures. All receipts and disbursements from such account shall be reported pursuant to [11 CFR 9006.1(a)](/cfr/11/9006.1.md?p=a) and documented in accordance with [11 CFR 9003.5](/cfr/11/9003.5.md)

## Notes

### Amendments

[56 FR 35913, July 29, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 31874, June 16, 1995; 67 FR 78682, Dec. 26, 2002]

### Authority

Authority: 26 U.S.C. 9003 and 9009(b).

### Source

Source: 56 FR 35913, July 29, 1991, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[56 FR 35913, July 29, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 31874, June 16, 1995; 67 FR 78682, Dec. 26, 2002]