Board of Contract Appeals
                    General Services Administration
                         Washington, D.C. 20405
 
 
 
                 ______________________________________
 
                       DENIED: November 23, 1999
                 ______________________________________
 
 
                        GSBCA 14937-C(14731-TD)
 
 
                              GC SERVICES,
 
                                                Applicant,
 
                                   v.
 
                      DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,
 
                                                Respondent.
 
        D.J.  Wojcicki,  Senior  Vice   President  of  GC  Services,
   Houston, TX, appearing for Applicant.
 
        Donald  M.  Suica  and Edward  N.  Ramras,  Office of  Chief
   Counsel,  Internal Revenue Service,  Department of  the Treasury,
   Washington, DC, counsel for Respondent.
 
   Before Board Judges PARKER, HYATT, and WILLIAMS.
 
   WILLIAMS, Board Judge.
 
        On  March 25, 1999, GC  Services (GCS) filed  an application
   seeking   its  costs   incurred  in   pursuing   its  appeal   in
   GSBCA 14731-TD,  relating  to  its  claim  under  contract number
   TIRNO-96-C-00037  for  collection-related   services.    GCS  and
   respondent,  the Department  of the Treasury  (Treasury), settled
   that  appeal, and  Treasury  paid  GCS  $63,525,  plus  interest,
   without  including  costs.    On  February 25,  1999,  the  Board
   dismissed that appeal with prejudice. 
 
        In  the instant  case, GCS  seeks what  it characterizes  as
   attorney fees  and expenses in the  amount of $31,795.   Of this,
   $18,420 represents the cost of a part-time employee's  time spent
   pursuing the appeal.   GCS also  seeks attorney fees for  a legal
   advisor  in  the   amount  of  $5925.    Respondent  opposes  the
   application.
 
                               Discussion
 
        Claimant  has  not   cited  any  statutory  basis   for  its
   entitlement  to  the  claimed   costs.    GCS  admitted   in  its
   application  submission that  it  is not  a proper  applicant for
   costs  under the Equal  Access to Justice  Act (EAJA)  and is not
   seeking reimbursement  under that  statute.  We  are aware  of no
   other statutory basis under which  claimant can recover.  Indeed,
   under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-47(f)(1), costs
   associated  with  prosecuting  a  claim  or  appeal  against  the
   United States     under     the    Contract     Disputes     Act,
   41 U.S.C.    601-613  (1994),  are  not   recoverable.    41  CFR
   31.205.47(f)(1) (1998);  Ed A. Wilson, Inc.  v. General  Services
   Administration, GSBCA 12596, 96-1 BCA   26,934, at 116,509.
 
        GCS contends that it is entitled to reimbursement because in
   its  complaint in  the  underlying  appeal  it  sought  "expenses
   incurred in making the appeal."  This allegation in the complaint
   does not, of course,  entitle appellant to recovery.   It is well
   established that under the principle of sovereign immunity, costs
   or expenses may  not be awarded against the  United States in the
   absence   of  a  statute  directly  authorizing  such  an  award.
   Sterling Federal  Systems, Inc.  v. United States,  16 F.3d 1177,
   1182 (Fed. Cir. 1994) (citations omitted).
 
                                Decision
 
        Since there is no statute authorizing payment of the claimed
   costs, the application is DENIED.
 
 
 
   ________________________________
                                      MARY ELLEN COSTER WILLIAMS
                                      Board Judge
 
   We concur:
 
 
 
   ________________________________
   ________________________________
   ROBERT W. PARKER                   CATHERINE B. HYATT
   Board Judge                             Board Judge