Internal Revenue Service: Serious Weaknesses Impact Ability to Report on
and Manage Operations (Letter Report, 08/09/1999, GAO/AIMD-99-196).

Serious financial management system limitations and internal control
weaknesses prevented the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from reliably
reporting on the results of its administrative activities for fiscal
year 1998 and from having reliable financial information for managing
its operations. These deficiencies are long-standing, many being
reported in GAO's first financial audit of IRS for fiscal year 1992.
Comparable to an individual reconciling his or her checkbook to a bank
statement, IRS' records on its available funds should be reconciled to
the Treasury Department's records monthly. In fiscal year 1998, however,
IRS did not reconcile its administrative fund balance with Treasury's
accounts. IRS did not promptly record some types of expenditures against
appropriations. IRS' systems were unable to generate detailed subsidiary
records of its accounts payable and outstanding obligations. IRS'
property and equipment was probably materially understated because of
several deficiencies in its recording of property and equipment. IRS
lacked adequate review procedures to oversee and manage the accounting
and financial reporting process. GAO found significant errors and
omissions in IRS' draft financial statements involving, in some cases,
hundreds of millions of dollars. IRS acknowledges these weaknesses and
plans to improve its financial data for its administrative accounts.
However, past efforts to correct these problems have been ineffective.
Future success depends on sustained attention by senior IRS management.
Left uncorrected, the internal control weaknesses cited by GAO will
continue to hinder IRS' ability to manage its financial operations and
routinely prepare reliable and timely financial information.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  AIMD-99-196
     TITLE:  Internal Revenue Service: Serious Weaknesses Impact
	     Ability to Report on and Manage Operations
      DATE:  08/09/1999
   SUBJECT:  Internal controls
	     Reporting requirements
	     Accounting procedures
	     Financial records
	     Federal agency accounting systems
	     Financial statement audits
	     Tax administration systems
	     Financial management
	     Auditing standards
	     Inventory control

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    United States General Accounting Office GAO                Report
    to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue August 1999
    INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Serious Weaknesses Impact Ability to
    Report on and Manage Operations GAO/AIMD-99-196 United States
    General Accounting Office
    Accounting and Information Washington, D.C. 20548
    Management Division B-282549
    Letter August 9, 1999 The Honorable Charles O. Rossotti The
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue Dear Mr. Rossotti: This report is
    a follow-on to our report on the results of our audit of the
    financial statements of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for
    fiscal year 1998.1 Because of insufficient evidence about the
    reliability of fund balance with Department of the Treasury and
    accounts payable as well as evidence that led us to conclude that
    property and equipment was likely materially understated, we
    issued a qualified opinion on IRS' September 30, 1998, balance
    sheet. In addition to the balance sheet issues, insufficient
    evidence about nonpayroll expenses and budgetary balances also
    prevented us from rendering an opinion on the statements of net
    cost, changes in net position, budgetary resources, and financing.
    As we pointed out in the financial statement report and in
    subsequent congressional testimony,2 pervasive weaknesses continue
    to exist in the design and operation of IRS' financial management
    systems, accounting procedures, documentation, recordkeeping, and
    internal controls over its administrative operations. The matters
    addressed in this follow-on report relate to IRS' activities
    associated with its fiscal year 1998 appropriations of $7.9
    billion-referred to as IRS' administrative activities. Issues
    relating to IRS' collection of federal tax revenue, refunding of
    overpayments of taxes, and unpaid tax assessments-referred to as
    IRS' custodial activities-are covered in a separate report. The
    matters in this report deal with IRS' reconciliations of fund
    balance with Treasury accounts, recording certain expenditures
    against appropriations, maintaining adequate transaction detail
    needed to monitor its liabilities and obligations, accounting for
    and controlling property and equipment, and the financial
    reporting process. 1Financial Audit:  Examination of IRS' Fiscal
    Year 1998 Financial Statements (GAO/AIMD-99-75, March 1, 1999).
    2Internal Revenue Service:  Results of Fiscal Year 1998 Financial
    Statement Audit (GAO/T-AIMD-99-103, March 1, 1999). Letter
    Page 1                                        GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Results in Brief
    Significant financial management system limitations and internal
    control weaknesses prevented IRS from reliably reporting on the
    results of its administrative activities for fiscal year 1998 and
    from having reliable financial information for managing its
    operations. These deficiencies are long-standing, many being
    reported in our first financial audit of IRS for fiscal year 1992.
    We found the following. * Comparable to an individual reconciling
    his or her checkbook to a bank statement, IRS' records on its
    available funds should be reconciled to Treasury records monthly.
    However, in fiscal year 1998, IRS did not reconcile its
    administrative fund balance with Treasury accounts. Reconciling
    these accounts involves identifying differences between IRS and
    Treasury records, determining the reasons for the differences, and
    correcting them if needed. Without performing these
    reconciliations, IRS has no assurance that it is properly
    controlling and reporting its appropriated funds. * IRS did not
    promptly record certain types of expenditures against
    appropriations. IRS' records show a net of $141 million in its
    suspense account at the end of fiscal year 1998 that had not been
    applied to a specific IRS appropriation. According to IRS'
    records, the absolute value of items in the suspense account
    related to fiscal years 1989 through 1998 totaled $238 million for
    government accounts and $170 million for nongovernment accounts
    with net values of $74 million and $67 million, respectively.
    Until all these transactions are posted to the proper
    appropriation accounts and matched with corresponding obligational
    records, the agency cannot ensure that the activities recorded in
    these accounts are proper IRS transactions and that its
    outstanding obligations and disbursements do not exceed
    appropriated amounts. * IRS' systems were unable to generate
    detailed subsidiary records of its accounts payable and
    outstanding obligations (i.e., undelivered orders). In part this
    was due to IRS not having adequate transaction-level detail to
    match related transactions. The lack of subsidiary records for key
    account balances affects IRS' ability to provide meaningful and
    reliable financial information needed to effectively report on and
    manage its operations. For example, without an accounts payable
    subsidiary ledger, IRS cannot readily support its accounts payable
    balance and determine that invalid accounts payable are removed
    from the account. Also, without comparing outstanding amounts in
    its undelivered orders accounts to outstanding obligations, IRS
    cannot readily determine whether the amount for undelivered orders
    is valid. Letter    Page 2                             GAO/AIMD-
    99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 * IRS' property and
    equipment was likely materially understated due to a number of
    deficiencies in its recording of property and equipment. IRS'
    financial statements do not reflect the significant assets that
    IRS has purchased as part of tax system modernization. For
    example, we found that major capital expenditures relating to IRS'
    mainframe consolidation and its new system to process tax returns
    and remittances (receipts) were not included in IRS' property and
    equipment account on its financial statements. Nearly 69 percent
    of the gross property and equipment in IRS' detailed records is
    not included in property and equipment on its financial statements
    either because the items have an individual item value of less
    than Treasury's $50,000 capitalization threshold and do not meet
    the bulk purchase capitalization threshold or because the
    individual component parts of major computer project purchases are
    not aggregated. Additionally, IRS' detailed records do not
    accurately keep track of additions and deletions of property and
    equipment. IRS itself has reported every year since 1983, under
    the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act,3 that because it
    does not have a reliable system of accounting for property, it is
    unable to determine if property is being properly used or
    misappropriated. *  IRS did not have adequate review procedures to
    oversee and manage the accounting and financial reporting process.
    We found significant errors and omissions in IRS' draft financial
    statements involving millions of dollars and in some cases
    hundreds of millions of dollars, which likely would have been
    caught and corrected had these documents undergone appropriate
    review by management. For example, initially the three major
    budgetary accounts reflected negative available unobligated
    balances totaling about $200 million. Based on our inquiry, IRS
    performed additional analysis on these accounts and subsequently
    revised them to show positive available unobligated balances
    totaling about $50 million. IRS has acknowledged these weaknesses
    and plans to improve its financial data for its administrative
    accounts. Past attempts to implement corrective action plans for
    these problems have not been effective. Although some areas, such
    as fund balance with Treasury reconciliations, improved as noted
    in our report on IRS' fiscal year 1996 financial statements, IRS
    again experienced problems in these areas for fiscal year 1998. To
    correct these weaknesses, sustained attention by senior IRS
    management is necessary. 3The Federal Managers' Financial
    Integrity Act requires agencies to annually report on their
    material weaknesses. Page 3
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Some of
    these weaknesses can be addressed in the short-term by making
    improvements in procedures and controls. For example, the fund
    balance with Treasury reconciliation deficiencies can be addressed
    by ensuring that the reconciliations are performed monthly. While
    some needed improvements can be achieved in the short-term, we
    recognize that for other weaknesses long-term systems
    modernization will be needed. For example, in order to properly
    account for and control its property and equipment, IRS will need
    a fully integrated inventory and accounting system. Left
    uncorrected, the internal control weaknesses identified will
    continue to hinder IRS' ability to manage its financial operations
    and routinely prepare reliable and timely financial information.
    This report contains a number of recommendations related to these
    weaknesses for which IRS has begun corrective action or has agreed
    to take action. Background    IRS is responsible for collecting
    and accounting for federal tax revenue and refunding tax
    overpayments. In fiscal year 1998, IRS collected almost $1.8
    trillion in tax revenues, issued $151 billion in tax refunds, and
    had net taxes receivable at year-end of $26 billion. IRS receives
    the majority of its funding for its operations through annual,
    multiyear, and no-year appropriations that are available for use
    within statutory limits. These appropriations include (1)
    processing, assistance, and management, (2) tax law enforcement,
    and (3) information systems.4 As illustrated in figure 1, for
    fiscal year 1998, IRS reported program expenses of $7.9 billion,
    including $3.5 billion for tax law enforcement, $3.0 billion for
    processing, assistance, and management, and $1.4 billion for
    information systems. 4These are the main appropriations related to
    IRS expenditures in fiscal year 1998. IRS also has other
    appropriations, such as technology investment, but expenditures
    related to these appropriations were not material in fiscal year
    1998. Page 4                                         GAO/AIMD-99-
    196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Figure 1:  IRS' Fiscal
    Year 1998 $7.9 Billion of Operating Expenses by Program (Dollars
    in Billions) Source: Unaudited IRS data. Appendix I provides
    details on our scope and methodology and appendix II includes IRS'
    written comments on this report. Over the past 6 years, we have
    issued various reports about weaknesses associated with IRS'
    administrative operations. To help IRS correct weaknesses
    associated with its administrative activities, we made numerous
    recommendations in those reports. Many of these recommendations,
    if effectively implemented, would help address the issues
    identified in this report. Appendix III summarizes both the
    previous years' open recommendations and the recommendations made
    this year. In response to our financial statement audit report for
    fiscal year 1998, IRS is developing a corrective action plan to
    address the issues identified. We will evaluate the actions taken
    as part of our fiscal year 1999 audit. Page 5
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 IRS Efforts
    to                   During fiscal year 1998, IRS did not
    reconcile its administrative fund Reconcile Its Fund
    balance with Treasury accounts. IRS uses over 30 Treasury
    accounts.5 Treasury policy and prudent financial management
    practices require Balance With Treasury  agencies to prepare
    monthly reconciliations of fund balance with Treasury Were
    Ineffective                 accounts to Treasury's records.
    Reconciling these accounts involves identifying differences
    between IRS and Treasury records, determining the reasons for the
    differences, and correcting them if needed. Differences arise when
    either IRS or Treasury incorrectly records or delays recording of
    deposits to and disbursements from IRS appropriation accounts.
    Correcting such differences should result in adjustments to either
    Treasury's or IRS' records, or both. This process is similar to an
    individual reconciling his or her checkbook to a monthly bank
    statement and this reconciliation should occur monthly. Without
    performing these reconciliations, IRS has no assurance that it is
    properly controlling the funds appropriated to it and that amounts
    are being properly recorded. IRS' inability to reconcile its fund
    balance with Treasury has been reported as a problem area dating
    back to 1992, the first year IRS' financial statements were
    subject to audit. We have recommended that IRS perform prompt
    reconciliations, including investigating and resolving the
    reconciling items. As a result, IRS has implemented corrective
    actions in the past. For example, during our fiscal year 1996
    audit, IRS, with the help of a contractor, reconciled its fund
    balance with Treasury accounts to Treasury's records within an
    immaterial amount. However, we found that IRS' reconciliation of
    its fund balance with Treasury accounts was not effective in
    fiscal year 1998. In fiscal year 1998, IRS did not prepare monthly
    reconciliations of its over 30 fund balances with Treasury
    accounts. For fiscal year 1998, IRS officials said they relied on
    a contractor to reconcile IRS' fund balance with Treasury
    accounts. In January 1999, IRS' contractor provided what it
    considered to be reconciliations of IRS' fund balance with
    Treasury for the 12 months of fiscal year 1998. However, in
    addition to these reconciliations not being performed promptly,
    they were inadequate in that amounts on the reconciliations did
    not agree with Treasury's and IRS' records, and reconciling items
    listed were not investigated and resolved. For example, one
    reconciliation indicated that the general ledger balance was over
    5The accounts include individual accounts for fiscal years 1993
    through 1998 for each of IRS' three major annual appropriations-
    processing, assistance, and management; tax law enforcement; and
    information systems-as well as accounts for its other
    appropriations and suspense. Page 6
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 $3 billion,
    but based on our review of IRS' general ledger, the balance was
    $71 million. This reconciliation also reflected what appeared to
    be over $30 million in reconciling items that were not
    investigated or resolved. In another example, the reconciliation
    showed the Treasury balance as $662 million while Treasury's
    statement reflected a balance of $454 million. Significant
    unreconciled amounts between Treasury's and IRS' records for fund
    balance with Treasury call into question the accuracy of reported
    amounts for operating expenses, assets, and liabilities. Also, the
    lack of properly prepared reconciliations affects IRS' ability to
    ensure that it complies with the law governing the use of its
    budget authority since the unresolved differences could
    significantly affect the status of budget authority available to
    be obligated and expended. For the future, it will be important
    for IRS to prepare these reconciliations monthly and promptly
    resolve any differences. Absent properly prepared reconciliations
    of fund balance with Treasury, this long-standing problem area for
    IRS will continue to negatively affect IRS' ability to produce
    reliable financial information and properly manage its
    appropriated funds. Recommendation                   We recommend
    that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct the Chief
    Financial Officer to ensure that IRS promptly resolves differences
    between IRS and Treasury records of IRS' appropriation account
    balances and adjusts accounts accordingly. For example,
    reconciliations should be performed promptly every month, with
    Treasury and IRS amounts in agreement and reconciling items
    properly resolved. IRS Did Not Promptly  As was the case in
    previous years, in fiscal year 1998, IRS did not promptly Record
    Certain                   investigate and resolve amounts in its
    administrative suspense account. To obtain assurance that funds
    were actually used for the purpose Expenditures Against
    appropriated and within prescribed dollar limits, agencies are
    required to Appropriations                   promptly match
    disbursements against applicable obligations. As of September 30,
    1998, IRS' records showed that the suspense account had a net
    outstanding balance of $141 million that had not been researched
    and posted to the proper appropriation account, including some
    items dating back to fiscal year 1989 appropriations. As shown in
    table 1, according to IRS' records, the absolute value of items in
    the suspense account related to fiscal years 1989 through 1998
    totaled $238 million for government accounts and $170 million for
    nongovernment accounts. Page 7
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Table 1:
    IRS' Suspense Account Components as of September 30, 1998 (Dollars
    in Thousands) Government          Nongovernment 1989
    -                          $8 1990
    -$41                         801 1991
    -7                 -5,686 1992
    177                   3,627 1993
    -26                   4,044 1994
    117                  -6,439 1995
    18,294                    4,290 1996
    43,556                  -38,950 1997
    -82,125                   94,277 1998
    93,734                   11,566 Total absolute value
    $238,077                 $169,688 Total net value
    $73,679                 $67,538 Source:  Unaudited IRS data. Until
    IRS researches and resolves its suspense items, it will have
    little assurance that the amounts recorded in this account are
    proper IRS transactions and that its outstanding obligations and
    disbursements records do not exceed appropriated amounts.
    According to IRS officials, the majority of the dollar value of
    the suspense account is related to transactions in which another
    federal agency charges IRS for goods or services using Treasury's
    electronic bill-paying system.6 Although we were not able to
    obtain a detailed list of items in the suspense account as of
    September 30, 1998, from IRS, we did see examples of suspense
    transactions during our testing of nonpayroll operating expenses.
    Reasons for placing items in suspense include not having received
    a breakdown of charges from the billing agency, not having a
    receipt and acceptance certification, and not having sufficient
    funds obligated.7 The following are examples of items placed in
    suspense that were reviewed in our testing of nonpayroll operating
    expenses and are shown to illustrate suspense transactions. The
    first two examples show the length of time it 6IRS officials
    questioned the validity of the large dollar value of items
    categorized as nongovernment and said there appeared to be a
    coding error. 7If IRS receives an invoice for over 10 percent
    above the obligated amount, the transaction will be posted to
    suspense until additional funds are obligated. Page 8
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 can take
    for items to be cleared from suspense, and the last two examples
    show how items are placed in suspense due to insufficient
    obligation of funds. * The General Services Administration (GSA)
    charged IRS $8.7 million for rent on February 18, 1998, and IRS
    did not clear the transaction out of suspense until May 1, 1998,
    after it resolved questions related to the March 23, 1998, receipt
    and acceptance certification. * On November 26, 1997, GSA charged
    IRS about $1 million for payment of a leasehold improvement.
    Because documentation of receipt and acceptance had not yet been
    received by IRS, no expenditure was posted. Instead, the entire
    amount was placed into suspense pending certification of receipt
    and acceptance. Although the receipt and acceptance was documented
    on March 5, 1998, the bill was not posted to expenses until June
    4, 1998, over 6 months after the GSA charge and 2 months after
    certification of receipt and acceptance. * In another case, GSA
    charged IRS $9.2 million for telecommunications services on May
    26, 1998. This $9.2 million was placed into suspense by IRS,
    awaiting receipt and acceptance certification and obligation of an
    additional $2 million. Receipt and acceptance was almost 2 months
    later on July 16, 1998, and the charge was finally removed from
    suspense on July 28, 1998, after a $2 million obligation
    modification. * In another telecommunications transaction, GSA
    charged IRS' Treasury account for $9 million on April 23, 1998.
    However, the obligation for this expenditure was only $5 million.
    On May 29, 1998, an additional $4 million was obligated, and on
    June 2, 1998, the transaction was removed from the suspense
    account. While IRS may have to place items in suspense while
    awaiting supporting documentation or obligation of funds, it is
    important that transactions be cleared from suspense as quickly as
    possible and that the suspense account be cleared at the end of
    the year. As shown above, some items in our sample of nonpayroll
    expenses were in suspense for a number of months. Since IRS was
    not able to give us a list of amounts in suspense as of September
    30, 1998,8 we do not know how long the items had been in suspense
    at that date and if there were old outstanding amounts.
    Transactions where sufficient funds have not been obligated are of
    8IRS relies on a contractor to extract information from its
    accounting system. The contractor was still trying to prepare
    lists of accounts payable and undelivered orders at the end of our
    audit work and had not prepared a suspense list as of year-end.
    Page 9                                           GAO/AIMD-99-196
    IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 particular concern because
    until the funds are obligated, IRS does not have an accurate
    picture of how it has used its budget authority. Also, to the
    extent that there were outstanding amounts in suspense for which
    obligations had not been recorded, obligations would be
    understated. Until the transactions in IRS' suspense account are
    posted to the proper appropriation account, the agency will have
    little assurance that the amounts recorded in this account are
    proper IRS transactions and that its disbursements do not exceed
    appropriated amounts. In addition, IRS cannot report reliable
    budget information until its suspense account is cleared.
    Recommendation                   We recommend that the
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct the Chief Financial
    Officer to strengthen control over IRS' operating funds by
    promptly investigating and clearing suspense account items. For
    example, outstanding amounts in the suspense account should be
    reviewed every month to try to resolve and clear outstanding
    balances. IRS Does Not Have                IRS does not have
    detailed subsidiary records to support certain key Subsidiary
    Ledgers to  account balances, including accounts payable and
    undelivered orders. As a result, for fiscal year 1998, as in past
    audits, IRS' support for its accounts Routinely Track and
    payable balance continued to be inadequate. In addition, IRS'
    support for Monitor Its Liabilities          its undelivered
    orders9 balance was inadequate for fiscal year 1998.  10 and
    Obligations                  According to Federal Financial
    Management Systems Requirements,  an agency's core financial
    system should be supported by a general ledger account structure
    that complies with the U.S. Government Standard General Ledger.11
    To support the account balances in these Standard General Ledger
    accounts, the general ledger should be supported by subsidiary
    ledgers that routinely provide data supporting account balances,
    9Undelivered orders represent the value of goods and services
    ordered that have been obligated but that have not been received.
    10These requirements are included in the Federal Financial
    Management Improvement Act of 1996 and are detailed in the Federal
    Financial Management Systems Requirements series issued by the
    Joint Financial Management Improvement Program, Office of
    Management and Budget (OMB) circular A-127, Financial Management
    Systems, and OMB's September 9, 1997, guidance. 11The U.S.
    Government Standard General Ledger establishes a standard chart of
    accounts, including account titles, definitions, and uses. Its
    primary purpose is to standardize federal agency accounting to
    support the external reports and financial statements required by
    OMB and Treasury, and to provide comparable information for
    agencies. Page 10
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 such as
    accounts payable and undelivered orders. These subsidiary ledgers
    would list outstanding amounts by transaction/vendor in accounts
    payable and undelivered orders and thus provide IRS with detailed
    information on its outstanding obligations. Without such
    information, IRS cannot routinely provide meaningful and reliable
    financial information needed to effectively manage and report on
    its operations. For accounts payable, IRS was only able to
    generate a transaction history that included all transactions that
    had been recorded in accounts payable since 1991, including
    amounts that had since been paid and were therefore no longer
    payable. As a result, IRS cannot readily determine what its
    accounts payable balance consists of and what it owes money for.
    Accounts payable was the combination of three general ledger
    accounts. For the largest accounts payable account, which,
    according to IRS totaled $338 million as of September 30, 1998, we
    received a computerized list that netted to this amount. The
    transaction history included numerous debit and credit entries of
    over a billion dollars each (as shown in table 2). The entries
    included amounts that had been established as accounts payable and
    had subsequently been paid. When inputting transactions into its
    accounting system, IRS does not include an indicator code that
    would enable it to easily match offsetting entries in order to
    produce a list of outstanding amounts. After much manipulation,
    IRS provided a tape in which some of the related entries had been
    removed from the detailed transaction history, but IRS was not
    able to give us a list of outstanding accounts payable as of
    September 30, 1998, that could be tested for validity and
    completeness. Page 11                             GAO/AIMD-99-196
    IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Table 2:  Information on
    Data Tapes Provided by IRS (Dollars in Millions) Accounts
    Debits             Credits Net value-debit (credit) Accounts
    payable Original                                    $1,317
    $1,655                           ($338) Revised
    314                 658                            (344)
    Undelivered orders Original
    $3,066              $4,049                           ($983)
    Revised                                        473
    1,458                            (985) Nonpayroll expenses
    Original                                    $2,211
    $861                          $1,350 Revised
    1,677                 327                            1,350 Note:
    Revised figures are the amounts of debits and credits after
    offsetting entries that could be identified were eliminated. An
    example of offsetting entries would be the entries related to
    establishing an accounts payable and its subsequent disbursement.
    Source: Unaudited IRS data. Similarly, IRS could not determine the
    outstanding portion of amounts ordered from each of its vendors as
    of September 30, 1998. IRS' financial system is unable to generate
    a list of its outstanding obligations (i.e., undelivered orders).
    For example, if IRS obligates funds for a leasehold improvement to
    be performed by GSA, the undelivered order represents the value of
    services not yet performed. As of September 30, 1998, IRS reported
    undelivered orders, a key component of the obligations incurred
    line item on the Statement of Budgetary Resources, at $985
    million. This amount was reported based on a detailed transaction
    history including initial obligations along with subsequent
    liquidations. IRS initially provided us with a computerized list
    of about $3 billion in debits and about $4 billion in credits to
    support its $985 million in undelivered orders as of September 30,
    1998. The entries included amounts that had been obligated and
    subsequently liquidated. However, IRS does not include an
    indicator code when inputting transactions into its accounting
    system that would enable it to easily match offsetting
    transactions. As shown in table 2, after much manipulation, IRS
    was able to reduce the debit amounts, but IRS was not able to
    provide a list of outstanding undelivered orders at year-end.
    Knowing what the outstanding undelivered orders are, periodically
    reviewing them for validity, and removing invalid amounts are
    important in order for IRS managers to know exactly what is left
    of their appropriated funds. Page 12
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Nonpayroll
    Operating     As was the case with the accounts payable and
    undelivered orders areas, Expenses                 we were also
    unable to obtain a list of IRS' nonpayroll operating expenses for
    fiscal year 1998. Instead, IRS provided us with the detailed
    history for nonpayroll operating expenses, which included many
    items that were not fiscal year 1998 expenses. The original tape
    to support a reported $1.3 billion of expenses included $2.2
    billion in debits and $861 million in credits. We were able to
    identify and clear some offsetting entries but not all, as shown
    in table 2. Many of the debits and credits were offsetting amounts
    related to prior years' expenses. However, IRS did not have a data
    field in its accounting system that would facilitate identifying
    offsetting transactions. We took statistical samples to verify
    IRS' fiscal year 1998 nonpayroll operating expenses and found
    significant errors (76 of 208 transactions tested were classified
    as errors). For example, we found (1) property and equipment
    purchases and leasehold improvements that should have been
    capitalized, (2) transactions that related to prior years, and (3)
    credit entries related to prior years. As a result, we were unable
    to conclude that IRS' nonpayroll operating expenses for fiscal
    year 1998 were reliable. Since reliable expense data are the basis
    for providing good cost information, these problems led us to
    conclude that IRS is unable to provide reliable cost information
    or cost-based performance measures. In addition, in our review of
    expenses, we identified cases of questionable cost allocation. For
    example, for fiscal year 1998, IRS used its appropriations
    categories of processing, assistance, and management; tax
    enforcement; and information systems to categorize costs on its
    net cost statement. We found that almost all rent was charged to
    the processing, assistance, and management category. From a
    financial reporting perspective, rent should be allocated to the
    various IRS cost categories that benefited from IRS office space.
    In our March 1998 testimony12 on IRS' fiscal year 1999 budget
    request, we stated that IRS included funding requests for similar
    activities in its tax enforcement as well as its appropriations
    request for processing, assistance, and management. For example,
    IRS requested $891.6 million for the "Telephone and
    Correspondence" budget activity within the processing, assistance,
    and management appropriation in fiscal year 1999. That activity
    covers all non-face-to-face contacts between IRS and taxpayers.
    Such contacts include typical forms of assistance, such as
    answering telephone 12Tax Administration:  IRS' Fiscal Year 1999
    Budget Request and Fiscal Year 1998 Filing Season (GAO/T-GGD/AIMD-
    98-114, March 31, 1998). Page 13
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 calls and
    correspondence, as well as several enforcement activities, such as
    correspondence audits and attempts to collect overdue taxes over
    the telephone. At the same time, however, IRS' tax law enforcement
    request included an unspecified amount of money for various forms
    of assistance, including walk-in service, taxpayer education
    efforts, and problem resolution. Since IRS uses its appropriation
    categories to categorize costs for its financial data and on its
    Statement of Net Costs for its financial statements, this
    categorization causes misclassification of costs on IRS' financial
    statements and will affect the validity of cost-based performance
    measurements. Recommendations         To effectively manage and
    report on key balances, we recommend that the Commissioner of
    Internal Revenue direct the Chief Financial Officer to develop
    subsidiary records for accounts payable and undelivered orders and
    a list of current year nonpayroll operating expenses that will
    provide reliable accounts payable, undelivered orders, and
    nonpayroll operating expense data. This could include adding an
    indicator code when inputting transactions into the accounting
    system that will let IRS identify and eliminate offsetting
    transactions. In the long-term, it could include enhancements to
    IRS' financial systems to include the capability of routinely
    generating subsidiary records of outstanding accounts payable and
    undelivered order balances and a reliable list of current year
    nonpayroll operating expenses. In addition, we recommend that the
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct the Chief Financial
    Officer to develop the data to support meaningful cost information
    categories and cost-based performance measures. IRS Does Not
    IRS has historically been unable to reliably account for and
    control its Adequately Account      property and equipment (P&E).
    Federal property management regulations specify that each agency
    shall establish and maintain control of personal for and Control
    Its     property inventories to avoid fraud, waste, and abuse.
    However, IRS has Property and            itself reported
    deficiencies in its property management controls since 1983.
    Equipment               In its fiscal year 1998 Federal Managers'
    Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA) report, IRS reported that it has
    material weaknesses in property management procedures and controls
    over the use and accountability of capitalized property. IRS also
    reported that without a reliable system of accounting for
    property, it is unable to determine if property is being properly
    used or misappropriated. We found that Page 14
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 * IRS
    materially understated the amount of P&E in its financial
    statements as of September 30, 1998, and * IRS does not have
    sufficient control over its P&E due to inaccurate detailed
    records. In addition, IRS' P&E detailed records are not integrated
    with its accounting system, and there were amounts in detailed
    records substantially different from amounts recorded in IRS'
    accounting records. IRS' Property and              IRS does not
    have adequate policies and procedures in place to ensure that
    Equipment Is Significantly     all P&E purchases are identified
    and capitalized at the appropriate cost in Understated
    accordance with federal accounting standards13 and IRS does not
    review its leases to determine if they meet the criteria for
    capitalization of leases. According to SFFAS No. 6, agencies
    should record as P&E all items that meet certain characteristics,
    such as a useful life of 2 years or more. All costs incurred to
    bring P&E to a form and location suitable for its intended use
    should be capitalized and included in the cost of the item,
    including the design and installation costs and the costs of
    externally developed software. As of September 30, 1998, IRS
    reported $164 million, net, of P&E on its financial statements.
    However, based on our review of detailed records, financial
    information related to IRS' computer projects, equipment
    expenditures, and lease agreements, IRS appears to be materially
    understating its P&E balance. IRS has expended significant amounts
    for computer-related projects, such as its new system to process
    tax returns and remittances (receipts)14 and service center
    mainframe consolidation. According to IRS' records, a significant
    portion of over $100 million in expenditures associated with these
    two major computer projects in fiscal year 1998 were costs
    incurred in acquiring computer hardware and software and preparing
    it for use. Information obtained from both the information systems
    office and from IRS' expense data in its accounting records showed
    that in fiscal year 1998 IRS spent over $100 million for these two
    systems. However, IRS showed P&E additions of only about $30
    million for all equipment purchases for fiscal year 1998 and,
    therefore, most of the over $100 million spent for the 13Statement
    of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS) No. 6,
    Accounting for Property, Plant, and Equipment (effective beginning
    with fiscal year 1998). 14This system is called the Integrated
    Submission and Remittance Processing System (ISRP) and processes
    tax returns and tax receipts received directly from taxpayers.
    Page 15                                       GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 service center mainframe
    consolidation and new system to process tax returns and
    remittances was inappropriately expensed. IRS' use of Treasury's
    $50,000 minimum capitalization threshold for individual items and
    a $500,000 threshold for bulk purchases of items costing more than
    $5,000 each15 also contributed to IRS' understatement of P&E.
    Federal accounting standards allow each agency to establish its
    own threshold and guidance on applying the threshold to bulk
    purchases. However, agencies should not expense material purchases
    that have characteristics requiring capitalization, such as a
    useful life of 2 years or more. During our testing, we identified
    significant purchases meeting SFFAS No. 6 requirements for
    capitalization as P&E being charged to nonpayroll operating
    expenses. In our expense sample, we noted a payment of about
    $300,000 for 10 tape units costing about $30,000 each and a
    $100,000 payment for 80 personal computers costing about $1,300
    each. These items were not capitalized because the expenditure did
    not meet the $50,000 individual capitalization threshold or the
    $500,000 threshold for bulk purchases. Also, our testing of
    nonpayroll operating expenses included a $1.3 million payment
    related to the purchase of numerous computer workstations for the
    mainframe consolidation project. However, none of the individual
    pieces of equipment listed on the invoice exceeded $5,000 and thus
    this large (bulk) purchase of P&E was expensed. The $50,000
    individual item threshold and bulk purchase threshold far exceed
    the cost of most of IRS' P&E items and result in a material
    distortion of IRS' reported P&E in its financial statements. For
    example, IRS reported equipment-related expenses of $339 million16
    in its fiscal year 1998 financial statements. For fiscal year
    1997, only $46 million in equipment-related purchases was
    capitalized as P&E, while $305 million in equipment purchases was
    expensed. As illustrated in figure 2, we found that $1.2 billion
    (69 percent) of IRS' gross P&E reported in its detailed records as
    of September 30, 1998, was 15A bulk purchase of general property,
    plant, and equipment is the single purchase of like items in a lot
    (i.e., the items have the same basic utility and are composed of
    similar parts-furniture, automated data processing (ADP) hardware,
    etc.). 16Equipment expenses reported on the financial statements
    for fiscal year 1998 were $339 million, which included $100
    million in depreciation and amortization expense. Equipment
    expenses reported on the financial statements for fiscal year 1997
    included $99 million in depreciation and amortization expense.
    Page 16                                         GAO/AIMD-99-196
    IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 not included in P&E in the
    financial statements either because the items have an individual
    item value of less than the $50,000 capitalization threshold and
    do not meet the bulk purchase capitalization threshold or because
    the individual component parts of major computer project purchases
    are not aggregated. Figure 2:  IRS' September 30, 1998, P&E
    Detailed Records by Individual Item Dollar Amount (Gross Amounts)
    Source:  Unaudited IRS data. This analysis also reflected that
    about 46 percent of P&E reported in IRS' detailed records was in
    the $0 to $5,000 range, most of which was likely purchased in
    bulk. Since IRS specifies that individual items must cost at least
    $5,000 each to be subject to the bulk purchase threshold, 46
    percent of IRS' P&E was automatically expensed. Inappropriate
    capitalization levels resulted in understatement of P&E on IRS'
    September 30, 1998, balance sheet and overstatement of nonpayroll
    operating expenses. Such practices distort the net cost of
    operations and understate assets. Page 17
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 We also
    analyzed IRS' purchases of P&E for the last 5 fiscal years17 as
    shown in IRS' detailed records to determine the effect of IRS'
    $50,000 capitalization threshold. As shown in table 3, over the
    last 5 fiscal years only 33 percent of the P&E recorded in IRS'
    detailed records had a purchase price of over $50,000. Table 3:
    IRS' P&E Purchases for Fiscal Years 1994-1998 (Dollars in
    Millions) P&E additions P&E additions per         over $50,000 per
    Percent of additions Fiscal year                     detailed
    records            detailed records           over $50,000 1994
    $207                       $81                         39 1995
    232                        76                         33 1996
    216                        81                         38 1997
    150                        46                         31 1998
    138                        28                         20 Total
    $943                      $312                         33 Note:
    IRS capitalizes P&E with an acquisition amount or price equal to
    or above $50,000. According to our and IRS reports, IRS' detailed
    records are incomplete. Source:  Unaudited IRS data. In addition,
    IRS did not capitalize any lease agreements in fiscal year 1998.
    Based on our review of IRS' detailed records, some lease
    agreements appear to meet the criteria in SFFAS No. 6 for
    capitalization. For example, in our review of mainframe
    consolidation costs, we identified $63.5 million that was budgeted
    for fiscal year 1998 that was for computer equipment and software
    with a 3-year lease to purchase. This would appear to meet the
    criteria for capitalization. IRS officials told us that IRS did
    not evaluate leases to determine whether any leases met the P&E
    capitalization criteria. IRS will be incurring major expenditures
    to modernize its tax systems and it will be important for IRS to
    properly account for these expenditures as they are made. In
    December 1998, IRS awarded its prime contract for tax systems
    modernization. IRS is partnering with the private sector to make
    technology investments in its primary business lines:  customer
    service, compliance, electronic commerce, submission processing,
    corporate systems, and financial reporting. As these investments
    are made, SFFAS 17IRS depreciates a majority of its P&E over a
    maximum of 5 years. Therefore, all P&E over 5 years old would have
    a zero net value on the financial statements. Page 18
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 No. 6 calls
    for capitalizing the cost of externally developed computer
    systems, including software. Unless IRS changes its practices,
    most of these capital costs will not be captured as IRS' P&E given
    IRS' capitalization threshold and recognition practices. Thus,
    IRS' financial statements will not reflect the significant assets
    that IRS has purchased as part of tax system modernization.
    Controls Over Inventory     As previously reported by us,18 IRS
    internal auditors, and IRS itself, IRS' Records are Weak
    controls over its detailed records are not adequate to ensure that
    these records provide a reliable record of P&E assets. For
    example, we found that IRS did not accurately keep track of
    additions and deletions of P&E in fiscal year 1998. In addition,
    our work and that of IRS' internal auditors raised questions about
    the accuracy of property valuation in IRS' detailed records. IRS
    relies entirely on its detailed records and an annual analysis of
    leasehold improvements to determine its amount of P&E. IRS
    maintains its detailed records in the Integrated Network and
    Operations Management System (INOMS) for computer-related P&E and
    the Property Asset Tracking System (PATS) for noncomputer-related
    P&E. Although IRS uses a $50,000 threshold for financial
    reporting, IRS' offices track P&E in detailed records using a much
    lower dollar threshold. IRS has several requirements for how
    physical inventories of property should be performed. For example,
    IRS' ADP Property Management Procedural Guide calls for conducting
    physical inventories annually. IRS' fiscal year 1998 procedures
    governing non-ADP P&E require that a physical inventory to verify
    the existence and accuracy of property be taken at regular
    intervals, but in no case should the interval exceed 3 years. IRS
    has established procedures whereby each year, one-third of the
    non-ADP property should be inventoried in order to complete a 100-
    percent inventory every 3 years. IRS' internal audit reported that
    these procedures are not always being followed and, as discussed
    below, IRS' detailed records are inaccurate. During our audit of
    IRS' fiscal year 1998 financial statements, we tested the
    reliability of IRS' detailed records by physically verifying the
    existence of 18Financial Audit: Examination of IRS' Fiscal Year
    1996 Administrative Financial Statements (GAO/AIMD-97-89, August
    29, 1997). Page 19                                       GAO/AIMD-
    99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 selected property
    items. These limited tests, as well as IRS internal audit reports
    and the results of IRS' own inventories, showed that IRS' detailed
    records were substantially in error. Many of the equipment items
    on-hand were not included in the detailed records, items that were
    no longer in IRS' possession had not been removed from the
    records, and information on other items included in the records
    were inaccurate, as the following examples illustrate. * We found
    that 10 of 141 items (7 percent) we selected from the floor of
    IRS' field offices were not included in IRS' detailed records,
    including items such as a front-end loader, electric pallet
    jacket, television, facsimile machine, and a video cassette
    recorder. * IRS was unable to locate 10 of the 153 (7 percent)
    items we selected for review from IRS' detailed records, including
    items such as a 1993 Chevrolet Blazer motor vehicle, a laptop
    computer, a workstation, a microcomputer, and a laser printer
    which, according to IRS' records, cost over $300,000. After
    performing additional follow-up, IRS was able to determine that
    the Chevrolet Blazer was leased from GSA in May 1993, and
    subsequently returned in July 1998 at the expiration of the lease
    agreement. However, IRS had not updated its property records to
    show that it no longer had the Blazer. * IRS assigned costs
    ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000 to substantially identical
    mail sorting machines. * For 15 of 294 items, IRS' detailed
    records contained inaccurate data related to barcodes, serial
    numbers, manufacturer, and model numbers. At one office in which
    we observed IRS staff conducting physical inventories where they
    attempted to trace from IRS' detailed records to the floor, IRS
    staff were unable to locate 19 of 130 computer equipment assets
    (15 percent), which cost over $50,000 each. In addition, 20 of 443
    items (5 percent) that they attempted to trace from the floor were
    not included in IRS' detailed records. At a different office, we
    found that 11 of 12 items (92 percent) over $50,000 had been
    disposed of but had not been removed from the detailed records.
    IRS' internal auditors have reported significant weaknesses in
    IRS' control over its P&E as illustrated in the following
    examples. Page 20                             GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 * In February 1999,19 the
    Office of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
    reported that a significant amount of telecommunications equipment
    sampled from the floor of IRS sites could not be located on the
    corresponding detailed records. At the Tennessee Computing Center,
    only 4 of 27 telecommunications equipment items identified as
    physically existing were actually recorded by IRS in INOMS. At the
    Cleveland Customer Service site, only 6 of 55 items were
    appropriately recorded in IRS' detailed records. * In April
    1998,20 IRS' Internal Audit reported that P&E inventory procedures
    for computer equipment and software were not effective for
    maintaining an accurate inventory or consistently followed by all
    districts in the Northeast Region.   For example, an inventory
    that was to be performed for all computer hardware and certain
    related software was not carried out by all districts in the
    region as some districts were unaware of the requirement. Also, a
    procedure to update the property system to reflect the relocation
    of computer equipment was flawed, resulting in the potential for
    an inaccurate inventory. The accuracy of IRS' detailed records is
    especially important because IRS uses these records to determine
    the amount to record as P&E on its financial statements. This is
    because IRS inappropriately expenses all P&E purchases and then
    once a year computes its ending P&E balance based on its detailed
    records. The detailed records are maintained by IRS' field
    offices, which record individual property acquisitions and
    dispositions in the detailed records throughout the year. Since
    IRS' detailed records are not integrated with its general ledger
    accounting system, IRS is compelled to manually adjust the general
    ledger P&E account to force it to agree to its detailed records.
    To determine the amount of P&E to record on its financial
    statements, IRS summarizes information from its detailed records
    on assets with individual item dollar values of $50,000 or more.
    IRS then adjusts P&E and nonpayroll operating expenses in its
    accounting records. In making these adjustments, IRS attempts to
    eliminate from its expenses the P&E additions for the fiscal year.
    However, no analysis is done to ensure that the detailed records
    are complete and agree with the dollar amounts in the accounting
    records. As shown in table 4, the amount of P&E 19Review of the
    Internal Revenue Service's Year 2000 Efforts to Inventory
    Telecommunications and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Products (Office
    of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Audit Report
    No. 092402, February 10, 1999). 20Review of INOMS Controls for the
    Century 2000 Initiative in the Northeast Region (IRS Internal
    Audit Report No. 681803, April 24, 1998). Page 21
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 acquired
    each year according to the detailed records has been much less
    than the amount shown under equipment-related purchases in IRS'
    financial statements. Table 4:  Differences in Accounting and
    Detailed Records for P&E Expensed for Fiscal Years 1996-1998
    (Dollars in Millions) P&E expensed per           P&E expensed per
    Difference in accounting Fiscal year      accounting records
    detailed records              and detailed records 1996
    $311                       $216
    $95 1997                                 305
    104                                201 1998
    339                        111                                228
    Total                              $955                       $431
    $524 Note:  IRS expensed P&E with an acquisition amount or price
    below $50,000 for fiscal years 1997 and 1998. Depreciation and
    amortization expenses of $99 million (fiscal year 1997) and $100
    million (fiscal year 1998) were not deducted from the reported
    equipment expense amounts of $305 million (for fiscal year 1997)
    and $339 million (for fiscal year 1998), because we could not
    break out amortization from depreciation expense. According to our
    and IRS reports, IRS' detailed P&E records are incomplete. Source:
    Unaudited IRS data. Recommendations    We recommend that IRS
    develop and implement procedures and controls to ensure that
    detailed P&E records are accurately maintained. These procedures
    and controls would include ensuring that physical inventories at
    field locations are effectively performed, including prompt
    resolution of discrepancies found in the inventories and
    appropriate adjustment of detailed records. Because of
    inaccuracies in existing detailed P&E records and in order to
    provide an accurate starting point, we recommend that the
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue consider directing that a
    physical inventory of P&E be performed with adjustments being made
    to IRS' detailed records accordingly. To ensure that such efforts
    are not wasted, IRS first needs to establish and implement
    effective procedures to ensure that the accuracy of detailed P&E
    records, once corrected, is maintained. In conjunction with or
    shortly after a physical inventory, we recommend that the
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct that a systematic
    validation of the P&E amounts (valuation) for items in IRS'
    detailed records be performed. Page 22
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 To address
    the likely understatement of reported P&E and improve the accuracy
    of information contained in the P&E records, we recommend that the
    Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct the Chief Financial
    Officer to * develop a means to capture and capitalize all costs
    incurred to bring P&E to a form and location suitable for its
    intended use in accordance with SFFAS No. 6, including the design
    and installation costs and the costs of externally developed
    software, * revise the current capitalization policy to ensure
    that material P&E acquisitions are not expensed, and * review all
    lease agreements to determine whether they meet the criteria for
    capital leases and capitalize and properly record any leases that
    meet the criteria. In the long-term, to address the system
    deficiencies affecting IRS' ability to effectively manage and
    report on its P&E balances, we recommend that the Commissioner of
    Internal Revenue direct that enhancements be made to IRS'
    financial systems to include recording P&E and capital leases as
    assets when purchased and to generate detailed records for P&E
    that reconcile to the financial records. Financial Reporting
    We found that IRS' general ledger for administrative activities
    cannot Process Is Inadequate    routinely generate reliable and
    prompt financial information. IRS' basic approach to preparing its
    financial statements was designed specifically for the narrowly
    defined purpose of preparing auditable amounts and balances only
    at fiscal year-end. Also, one of the significant challenges facing
    IRS involves establishing a financial management team with
    sufficient expertise to ensure that reliable financial information
    is produced. In order to improve financial management, it will
    take both a sustained commitment by top management and a sound
    support team. IRS relies on various costly and time-consuming ad
    hoc procedures and adjustments to prepare its financial statements
    at year-end. These include adjustments for P&E and leasehold
    improvements and numerous other adjustments made at year-end.
    Therefore, information to measure results is not available
    throughout the year as a management tool to aid managers in
    fulfilling their responsibilities for evaluating performance. For
    fiscal year 1998, adequate supervision of the financial reporting
    process did not occur. Key financial management positions went
    unfilled and review of financial and accounting entries was
    lacking or ineffective. Page 23
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 For the
    preparation of IRS' fiscal year 1998 financial statements, there
    was heavy reliance on contractor support to provide the supporting
    data for the financial statements without necessary supervision
    and involvement by IRS personnel. The Comptroller General's
    standards for internal controls21 require supervisors to
    continuously review and approve the assigned work of their staffs.
    However, this did not occur at IRS for fiscal year 1998. These
    deficiencies contributed to IRS' inability to adequately support
    most of its administrative accounts for its financial statements
    leading to disclaimers of opinions for four financial statements
    and a qualified opinion on its balance sheet. Several of the
    deficiencies noted in this report resulted from inadequate
    supervision over the accounting and financial reporting functions,
    as the following examples illustrate. * As discussed above,
    reconciliations of fund balance with Treasury were not prompt or
    successful for fiscal year 1998. The schedules provided to us,
    which were purported to be reconciliations, came directly from
    IRS' contractors with no IRS review. Consequently, we believe that
    IRS did not provide adequate oversight of the contractors to
    ensure that the reconciliations were properly and promptly
    performed. * Key personnel with responsibilities for financial
    systems and reporting on IRS' administrative activities had left
    IRS by July 1998 and had not been replaced by year-end. For
    example, the Financial Applications Support & Technology and
    Financial Systems section chiefs left IRS and were not replaced by
    February 1999. Also, the head of the Accounting Standards &
    Evaluation Division transferred to a field office in fiscal year
    1998. Consequently, IRS was compelled to prepare its financial
    statements without managers to properly oversee and review them,
    as well as perform supervisory review on post-closing adjusting
    and reclassification entries. * Due to the implementation of new
    federal accounting and reporting requirements, IRS prepared four
    new financial statements, including the Statements of Budgetary
    Resources and Financing. The accountant responsible for preparing
    these budgetary statements had written guidance issued only by
    Treasury and OMB to assist in preparing the statements. There was
    little to no supervisory input provided to the accountant
    preparing the statements nor did the statements undergo a detailed
    review prior to being issued in draft. Consequently, throughout
    our review of the draft statements, we found numerous errors and
    omissions, which should have been caught and corrected had these
    21Standards for Internal Controls in the Federal Government, U.S.
    General Accounting Office, 1983. Page 24
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 statements
    been appropriately reviewed by management. For example, in several
    drafts of IRS' financial statements, the three major budgetary
    accounts reflected negative available unobligated balances
    totaling about $200 million. A negative balance could indicate the
    possibility of an Anti-Deficiency Act violation. IRS officials
    told us that IRS did not violate the Anti-Deficiency Act and had
    it performed a more comprehensive review, it would have corrected
    this error prior to providing us its draft financial statements.
    Based on our inquiry, IRS performed additional analysis on these
    accounts and subsequently revised its balances to show available
    unobligated balances totaling about $50 million.22 Even after
    these adjustments, we were unable to determine if the revised
    balances in these accounts were reliable. Table 5 shows the draft
    and final numbers for unobligated balances available as of
    September 30, 1998. Table 5:  Unobligated Balances Available as of
    September 30, 1998 (Dollars in Millions) December 15, 1998 draft
    Final financial Appropriation                                of
    financial statements                     statements Processing,
    assistance, and management
    -$23                                $8 Tax law enforcement
    -22                                4 Information systems
    -148                                34 Other
    311                          318 Total
    $118                         $364 Note:  IRS received an
    appropriation of $295 million for information technology
    investments. However, these funds were not available for
    obligation until September 1, 1998, and were not obligated as of
    September 30, 1998. Source:  Unaudited IRS data. * During fiscal
    year 1998, a large number of post-closing adjusting and
    reclassification entries were made to correct erroneous entries
    and balances in the accounting records. For example, we questioned
    the reasonableness of the downward adjustment account and upward
    adjustment account of prior year undelivered orders, which were
    each larger than the beginning balance of undelivered orders of
    $668 million. 22Note that we did not give an opinion on IRS'
    Statement of Budgetary Resources or test compliance with the Anti-
    Deficiency Act due to limitations on the scope of our work. Page
    25                                        GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Based on our inquiry, IRS
    identified about $580 million worth of transactions that were
    inappropriately included in each of these adjustment accounts, as
    shown in table 6. Table 6:  Upward and Downward Adjustments of
    Undelivered Orders (Dollars in Millions) Upward adjustments
    Downward adjustments Original balance
    -$683                    $727 Per IRS, transactions
    inappropriately                     581                     -577
    included Revised balance
    -$102                    $150 Source:  Unaudited IRS data. IRS
    subsequently reduced each of these adjustment accounts by about
    $580 million. Since these accounts are included in five separate
    line items in the Statement of Budgetary Resources, these errors
    would have significantly understated some line items while
    overstating others, resulting in a material distortion of the
    financial statement. Even after these adjustments, however, we
    were unable to determine if the revised balances in these accounts
    were reliable because we were not able to obtain a list of
    outstanding undelivered orders at the beginning or end of the
    year. Recommendations    IRS can improve its financial reporting
    process by ensuring that appropriate supervisory and management
    review of its financial statements and operations occurs. We
    recommend that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue direct that
    additional knowledgeable staff are employed or that existing staff
    are appropriately cross-trained to be able to develop IRS'
    financial statements and perform its accounting and financial
    functions or are able to perform the necessary supervision needed
    to obtain reliable and supportable financial data on time. Also,
    to address IRS' deficiencies in its accounting and financial
    reporting processes, we recommend that the Commissioner of
    Internal Revenue direct the Chief Financial Officer to establish
    procedures for the financial statements to undergo review at the
    appropriate levels within the Chief Financial Officer's office,
    with documented evidence of the reviews. Page 26
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Agency
    Comments and  IRS said it agreed for the most part with the
    conclusions in this report. IRS Our Evaluation
    said it has already begun implementing many actions to improve its
    administrative financial operations. For example, IRS said that
    subsequent to the completion of the fiscal year 1998 financial
    statement audit, IRS put in place an entirely new management team
    on the administrative accounting side. IRS noted, however, that
    several of the issues raised in this report will require fixing
    and/or replacing the current accounting system as well as
    integration with the other administrative systems (e.g.
    procurement, property, and personnel) and cannot be fixed in the
    short-term. We are pleased to see that IRS has begun taking
    positive steps towards addressing the recommendations in this
    report in order to improve its administrative accounting such as
    hiring needed supervisory personnel. However, it will take
    sustained senior management attention to resolve IRS' weaknesses
    in its administrative accounting area. This report contains
    recommendations to you. The head of a federal agency is required
    by 31 U.S.C. 720 to submit a written statement on actions taken on
    these recommendations. You should send your statements to the
    Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House Committee
    on Governmental Reform and Oversight within 60 days after the date
    of this report. A written statement also must be sent to the House
    and Senate Committees on Appropriations with the agency's first
    request for appropriations made more than 60 days after the date
    of this report. We are sending copies of this report to Senator
    Ted Stevens, Senator Robert Byrd, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
    Senator Byron Dorgan, Senator William Roth, Senator Daniel P.
    Moynihan, Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Max Baucus, Senator Fred
    Thompson, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Senator Pete Domenici, Senator
    Frank Lautenberg, Representative Bill Young, Representative David
    Obey, Representative Jim Kolbe, Representative Steny Hoyer,
    Representative Bill Archer, Representative Charles Rangel,
    Representative Dan Burton, Representative Henry Waxman,
    Representative Stephen Horn, Representative Jim Turner,
    Representative John Kasich and Representative John Spratt in their
    capacities as Chair or Ranking Minority Member of Senate and House
    Committees and Subcommittees. We are also sending copies to the
    Honorable Lawrence H. Summers, Secretary, Department of Treasury;
    the Honorable Jacob J. Lew, Page 27
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses B-282549 Director,
    Office of Management and Budget, and other interested parties.
    Copies will be made available to others upon request. Please
    contact me at (202) 512-3406 or Joan Hawkins at (202) 512-8433 if
    you have any questions concerning this report. Other key
    contributors to this report are listed in appendix IV. Sincerely
    yours, Gregory D. Kutz Associate Director Governmentwide
    Accounting and Financial Management Issues Page 28
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Page 29    GAO/AIMD-
    99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Contents Letter
    1 Appendix I
    32 Scope and Methodology Appendix II
    33 Comments From the Internal Revenue Service Appendix III
    35 Status of GAO Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities
    Appendix IV
    39 GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments Related GAO Products
    40 Page 30    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses
    Contents Tables     Table 1: IRS' Suspense Account Components as
    of September 30, 1998 (Dollars in Thousands)
    8 Table 2: Information on Data Tapes Provided by IRS (Dollars in
    Millions)
    12 Table 3: IRS' P&E Purchases for Fiscal Years 1994-1998 (Dollars
    in Millions)
    18 Table 4: Differences in Accounting and Detailed Records for P&E
    Expensed for Fiscal Years 1996-1998 (Dollars in Millions)
    22 Table 5: Unobligated Balances Available as of September 30,
    1998 (Dollars in Millions)
    25 Table 6: Upward and Downward Adjustments of Undelivered Orders
    (Dollars in Millions)
    26 Table III.1: Status of Open GAO Recommendations on IRS
    Administrative Activities
    35 Figures    Figure 1: IRS' Fiscal Year 1998 $7.9 Billion of
    Operating Expenses by Program (Dollars in Billions)
    5 Figure 2: IRS' September 30, 1998, P&E Detailed Records by
    Individual Item Dollar Amount (Gross Amounts)
    17 Abbreviations ADP         automated data processing FMFIA
    Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act GSA         General
    Services Administration INOMS       Integrated Network and
    Operations Management System IRS         Internal Revenue Service
    OMB         Office of Management and Budget P&E         property
    and equipment Page 31                           GAO/AIMD-99-196
    IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix I Scope and Methodology
    Appendix I As part of our audit of IRS' fiscal year 1998 financial
    statements, we conducted an evaluation of IRS' internal controls.
    We designed our audit procedures to test relevant controls and
    included tests for proper authorization, execution, accounting,
    and reporting of transactions. Some of the key procedures we
    performed included the following. * We selected a statistical
    sample of nonpayroll operating expense transactions and traced
    sample information to supporting documentation, such as invoices,
    receiving reports, and obligating documents, and reconciled total
    expense transaction data to the general ledger and the financial
    statements. * We selected a statistical sample of payroll
    operating expense transactions and traced sample information to
    supporting documentation, such as time and attendance records and
    personnel folders, conducted analytical procedures on year-end
    payroll expenses, and obtained documentation to support IRS
    personnel liabilities from other federal agencies, such as the
    Department of Labor. * We conducted site visits to confirm the
    physical existence of a nonrepresentative selection of property
    and equipment at several IRS service centers and other IRS
    locations. We also selected items at these locations and traced
    them to IRS' records to ensure completeness. * We observed
    selected property and equipment inventories taken by IRS. * We
    reviewed IRS' contractor-provided reconciliations of the fund
    balance with Treasury. To assess the reliability of budget
    information presented in IRS' financial statements, we planned to
    use a combination of detail testing, analytical procedures, and
    where applicable, rely on our work performed in the property and
    equipment, accounts payable, and operating expenses areas.
    However, IRS was unable to provide us with the necessary data from
    which to select our samples due to IRS' lack of subsidiary
    ledgers, and thus we were unable to perform the detail tests.
    Also, due to deficiencies identified in our work in a number of
    areas such as P&E, accounts payable, and nonpayroll operating
    expenses, we were unable to determine whether the corresponding
    budgetary balances were materially correct. We performed our work
    from July 1998 through March 1999 in accordance with generally
    accepted government auditing standards and OMB Bulletin 98-08.
    Page 32                              GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weakness Appendix II Comments From the Internal
    Revenue ServiceAppendix II Page 33        GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
    Administrative Weaknesses Appendix II Comments From the Internal
    Revenue Service Page 34                                GAO/AIMD-
    99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix III Status of GAO
    Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities
    Appendix II I As a result of our financial audits of IRS from
    fiscal years 1992 through 1996, we made a total of 29
    recommendations for improving IRS' administrative accounting and
    internal controls. Action was completed on 15 of these
    recommendations as of the end of the fiscal year 1996
    administrative financial statement audit, and thus these
    recommendations were closed. In fiscal year 1997, IRS'
    administrative activities were audited by the Department of the
    Treasury Office of Inspector General.1 The following table shows
    the updated status of the 14 prior administrative accounting and
    internal control recommendations that were still open at the
    completion of the fiscal year 1996 audit, numbered 1-14 in the
    table. We also have added new recommendations we are making in
    this report as a result of our fiscal year 1998 audit. They are
    numbered 15-27 in the following table. Table III.1:  Status of
    Open GAO Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities Report
    Administrative recommendations
    Description of recommendations Financial Management: IRS Lacks
    Accountability Over Its ADP Resources (GAO/AIMD-93-24, August 5,
    1993) 1.  Develop and implement standard operating procedures that
    We are closing this recommendation and incorporate controls to
    ensure that detailed records are accurately
    replacing it with recommendations 19, 20, maintained. Such
    controls should include (1) establishing specific
    21, and 25 to highlight the need for action. procedures to ensure
    the prompt and accurate recording of acquisitions and disposals in
    IRS' ADP fixed asset system, including guidance addressing the
    valuation of previously leased assets, (2) reconciling accounting
    and detailed records monthly as an interim measure until the
    successful integration of inventory and accounting systems is
    completed as planned, and (3) implementing mechanisms for ensuring
    that annual physical inventories at field locations are
    effectively performed, that discrepancies are properly resolved,
    and that detailed records are appropriately adjusted. 2.  Oversee
    efforts for ensuring that P&E inventory data, including
    Open. telecommunications and electronic filing equipment, are
    complete and accurate. 3.  Determine what information related to
    ADP resources, such as                    Open. equipment
    condition and remaining useful life, would be most useful to IRS
    managers for financial management purposes and develop a means for
    accounting for these data. 1See Internal Revenue Service
    Accountability Report Fiscal Year 1997, Department of the Treasury
    (March 1998). Page 35
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix III Status
    of GAO Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities Report
    Administrative recommendations
    Description of recommendations 4.  Develop an interim means to
    capture relevant costs related to in-house  Open. Beginning with
    fiscal year 2001, software development.
    agencies will be required to implement the provisions of SFFAS
    No.10, Accounting for Internal Use Software. Financial Management:
    IRS Does Not Adequately Manage Its Operating Funds (GAO/AIMD-94-
    33, February 9, 1994) 5.  Promptly resolve differences between IRS
    and Treasury records of             We are closing this
    recommendation and IRS' cash balances and adjust accounts
    accordingly.                              replacing it with
    recommendation 15 to highlight the need for action. 6.  Promptly
    investigate and record suspense account items to
    We are closing this recommendation and appropriate accounts.
    replacing it with recommendation 16 to highlight the need for
    action. 7.  Perform periodic reviews of obligations, adjusting the
    records for           Open. IRS informed us that it has taken
    obligations to amounts expected to be paid and removing expired
    corrective action to address this appropriation balances from IRS
    records as stipulated by the National            recommendation.
    We will evaluate the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
    1991.                                  actions taken as part of
    our fiscal year 1999 audit. 8.  Revise procedures to incorporate
    the requirements that accurate              Open. IRS informed us
    that it has taken receipt and acceptance data on invoiced items be
    obtained prior to               corrective action to address this
    payment and that supervisors ensure that these procedures are
    carried            recommendation. We will evaluate the out.
    actions taken as part of our fiscal year 1999 audit. 9.  Revise
    document control procedures to require IRS units that actually
    Open. IRS informed us that it has taken receive goods or services
    to promptly forward receiving reports to               corrective
    action to address this payment offices so that payments can be
    promptly processed.                      recommendation. We will
    evaluate the actions taken as part of our fiscal year 1999 audit.
    10.  Use the Automated Financial System's enhanced cost
    accumulation  Open. capabilities to monitor and report costs by
    project in all appropriations. 11.  Require payment and
    procurement personnel, until the integration of  No action
    planned. In fiscal year 1996, IRS the Automated Financial System
    and the procurement system is                     officials stated
    that IRS did not plan to completed as planned, to periodically
    (monthly or quarterly) reconcile           manually reconcile its
    existing procurement payment information maintained in the
    Automated Financial System to              and payment systems as
    an interim amounts in the procurement records and promptly resolve
    any                      measure since they expected to integrate
    discrepancies.
    the procurement system with the Automated Financial System. These
    officials believed that this new system would ensure that payment
    amounts recorded in the procurement and accounting systems are
    equal. During our fiscal year 1999 audit, we will determine if the
    issue has been adequately addressed. Financial Audit: Examination
    of IRS' Fiscal Year 1993 Financial Statements (GAO/AIMD-94-120,
    June 15, 1994) 12.  Establish a method to continuously monitor and
    correct actions to           Open. ensure that progress is
    achieved. 13.  Develop reliable detailed information supporting
    reported accounts          We are closing this recommendation and
    payable balances.
    replacing it with recommendation 17 to highlight the need for
    action. Page 36                                        GAO/AIMD-
    99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix III Status of GAO
    Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities Report
    Administrative recommendations
    Description of recommendations 14.  Use current information to
    periodically update estimated future Tax         Open. Systems
    Modernization costs. Financial Management: Serious Weaknesses
    Impact Ability to Report on and Manage Operations (GAO/AIMD-99-
    196, August 9, 1999) 15.  Promptly resolve differences between IRS
    and Treasury records of            We are making this
    recommendation, which IRS' appropriation account balances and
    adjust accounts accordingly. For  replaces recommendation 5, to
    highlight the example, reconciliations should be performed
    promptly every month, with  need for action on this long-standing
    Treasury and IRS amounts in agreement and reconciling items
    properly             problem area. resolved. 16.  Strengthen
    control over IRS' operating funds by promptly
    We are making this recommendation, which investigating and
    clearing suspense account items. For example,
    replaces recommendation 6, to highlight the outstanding amounts in
    the suspense account should be reviewed every  need for action on
    this long-standing month to try to resolve and clear outstanding
    balances.                          problem area. 17.  Develop
    subsidiary records for accounts payable and undelivered
    New recommendation. This orders and a list of current year
    nonpayroll operating expenses that will        recommendation
    relates to recommendation provide reliable accounts payable,
    undelivered orders, and nonpayroll            13, which we are
    closing. operating expense data. 18.  Develop the data to support
    meaningful cost information categories  New recommendation. and
    cost-based performance measures. 19.  Develop and implement
    procedures and controls to ensure that                We are
    making this recommendation, which detailed P&E records are
    accurately maintained. These procedures and  replaces
    recommendation 1, to highlight the controls would include ensuring
    that physical inventories at field locations  need for action on
    this long-standing are effectively performed, including prompt
    resolution of discrepancies          problem area. found in the
    inventories and appropriate adjustment of detailed records. 20.
    Consider directing that a physical inventory of P&E be performed
    with  New recommendation. This adjustments being made to IRS'
    detailed records accordingly. To ensure  recommendation relates to
    recommendation that such efforts are not wasted, IRS first needs
    to establish and               1, which we are closing. implement
    effective procedures to ensure that the accuracy of detailed P&E
    records, once corrected, is maintained. 21.  In conjunction with
    or shortly after a physical inventory, perform a        New
    recommendation. This systematic validation of the P&E amounts
    (valuation) for items in IRS'           recommendation relates to
    recommendation detailed records.
    1, which we are closing. 22.  Develop a means to capture and
    capitalize all costs incurred to bring  New recommendation. P&E to
    a form and location suitable for its intended use in accordance
    with SFFAS No. 6, including the design and installation costs and
    the costs of externally developed software. 23.  Revise the
    current capitalization policy to ensure that material P&E
    New recommendation. acquisitions are not expensed. 24.  Review all
    lease agreements to determine whether they meet the
    New recommendation. criteria for capital leases and capitalize and
    properly record any leases that meet the criteria. 25.  Make
    enhancements to IRS' financial systems to include recording
    New recommendation. This P&E and capital leases as assets when
    purchased and to generate                  recommendation relates
    to recommendation detailed records for P&E that reconcile to the
    financial records.                1, which we are closing. Page 37
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix III Status
    of GAO Recommendations on IRS Administrative Activities Report
    Administrative recommendations
    Description of recommendations 26.  Ensure that additional
    knowledgeable staff are employed or that             New
    recommendation. existing staff are appropriately cross-trained to
    be able to develop IRS' financial statements and perform its
    accounting and financial functions or are able to perform the
    necessary supervision needed to obtain reliable and supportable
    financial data on time. 27.  Establish procedures for the
    financial statements to undergo review at  New recommendation. the
    appropriate levels within the Chief Financial Officer's office,
    with documented evidence of the reviews. Page 38
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Appendix IV GAO
    Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments
    Appendix IV GAO Contacts       Greg Kutz, (202) 512-3406 Joan
    Hawkins, (202) 512-8433 Acknowledgments    In addition to those
    named above, Christina Beck, Craig Feight, David Fisher, Paul
    Foderaro, Mai Nguyen, Ruth Sessions, and Keith Thompson made key
    contributions to this report. Page 39
    GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS Administrative Weaknesses Related GAO Products
    Financial Audit: IRS' Fiscal Year 1998 Financial Statements
    (GAO/AIMD-99-75, March 1, 1999). Financial Audit: Examination of
    IRS' Fiscal Year 1996 Administrative Financial Statements
    (GAO/AIMD-97-89, August 29, 1997). Financial Audit: Examination of
    IRS' Fiscal Year 1995 Financial Statements (GAO/AIMD-96-101, July
    11, 1996). Financial Audit: Examination of IRS' Fiscal Year 1994
    Financial Statements (GAO/AIMD-95-141, August 4, 1995). Financial
    Audit: Examination of IRS' Fiscal Year 1993 Financial Statements
    (GAO/AIMD-94-120, June 15, 1994). Financial Management: IRS Does
    Not Adequately Manage Its Operating Funds (GAO/AIMD-94-33,
    February 9, 1994). Financial Management: IRS Lacks Accountability
    Over Its ADP Resources (GAO/AIMD-93-24, August 5, 1993). (919366)
    Letter    Page 40                           GAO/AIMD-99-196 IRS
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