Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Federal Unemployment Taxes	 
(04-NOV-05, GAO-06-197R).					 
                                                                 
We assisted the Department of Labor in ascertaining whether the  
net federal unemployment tax (FUTA) revenue distributed to the	 
Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) for the fiscal year ended September
30, 2005, is supported by the underlying records. We evaluated	 
fiscal year 2005 activity affecting distributions to the UTF. In 
performing the agreed-upon procedures, we conducted our work in  
accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing	 
standards, which incorporate financial audit and attestation	 
standards established by the American Institute of Certified	 
Public Accountants. These standards also provide guidance for	 
performing and reporting the results of agreed-upon procedures.  
The procedures we agreed to perform relate to (1) transactions	 
that represent the underlying basis of amounts distributed to the
UTF and (2) key reconciliations of the Internal Revenue Service  
records to the Department of the Treasury records.		 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-06-197R					        
    ACCNO:   A41040						        
  TITLE:     Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Federal Unemployment    
Taxes								 
     DATE:   11/04/2005 
  SUBJECT:   Auditing procedures				 
	     Federal taxes					 
	     Financial records					 
	     Financial statement audits 			 
	     Funds management					 
	     Trust funds					 
	     Policies and procedures				 
	     Treasury Unemployment Trust Fund			 

******************************************************************
** This file contains an ASCII representation of the text of a  **
** GAO Product.                                                 **
**                                                              **
** No attempt has been made to display graphic images, although **
** figure captions are reproduced.  Tables are included, but    **
** may not resemble those in the printed version.               **
**                                                              **
** Please see the PDF (Portable Document Format) file, when     **
** available, for a complete electronic file of the printed     **
** document's contents.                                         **
**                                                              **
******************************************************************
GAO-06-197R

     

     * LOS_ANGELES-#65920-v3-FUTA_AGREED-UPON_PROCEDURES_REPORT_FY_2005.pdf
          * Description of findings and results
          * Description of findings and results
               * Description of findings and results
                    * Description of findings and results
                    * Description of findings and results
                    * Description of findings and results
          * Description of findings and results
          * Description of findings and results
          * Description of findings and results
          * IV. Other procedures performed as part of the fiscal year 20

November 4, 2005

The Honorable Gordon S. Heddell

Inspector General

Department of Labor

Subject: Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Federal Unemployment Taxes

Dear Mr. Heddell:

We have performed the procedures contained in the enclosure to this
report, which we agreed to perform and with which you concurred, solely to
assist your office in ascertaining whether the net federal unemployment
tax (FUTA) revenue distributed to the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) for
the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005, is supported by the underlying
records. As agreed with your office, we evaluated fiscal year 2005
activity affecting distributions to the UTF.

In performing the agreed-upon procedures, we conducted our work in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards,
which incorporate financial audit and attestation standards established by
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. These standards
also provide guidance for performing and reporting the results of
agreed-upon procedures.

The adequacy of the procedures to meet your objectives is your
responsibility, and we make no representation in that respect. The
procedures we agreed to perform relate to (1) transactions that represent
the underlying basis of amounts distributed to the UTF and (2) key
reconciliations of the Internal Revenue Service records to the Department
of the Treasury records. The enclosure contains the agreed-upon procedures
and our findings and results from performing each of the procedures.

We were not engaged to and did not conduct an examination, the objective
of which would have been the expression of an opinion on the net amount of
FUTA taxes distributed to the UTF. Accordingly, we do not express such an
opinion. Had we performed additional procedures, other matters might have
come to our attention that would have been reported to you. We completed
the agreed-upon procedures on

October 27, 2005.

We provided a draft of this report to IRS for review and comment. IRS
agreed with the results and findings presented in this report.

This report is intended solely for the use of the Office of Inspector
General of the Department of Labor and should not be used by those who
have not agreed to the procedures and have not taken responsibility for
the sufficiency of the procedures for their purposes. However, this report
is a matter of public record, and its distribution is not limited. Copies
are available to others upon request. This report is also available at no
charge on GAO's Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If you have any questions,
please call me at (202) 512-3406. Contact points for our Offices of
Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page
of this report.

Sincerely yours,

Steven J. Sebastian

Director

Financial Management and Assurance

Enclosure

                 Unemployment Trust Fund Procedures and Results

I. Procedures on detailed transactions

A. Obtain from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) total Federal
Unemployment Tax (FUTA) collections and refunds reflecting the first 8
months of fiscal year 2005 posted to the master file.1 Compare FUTA
collections and refund data per the master file to determine if they agree
in all material respects2 to IRS's general ledger.

Description of findings and results

Total FUTA collections and refunds for the first 8 months of fiscal year
2005 per IRS's master file materially agreed with IRS's general ledger.

B. Use dollar unit sampling (DUS) to select a sample of combined FUTA
collection and refund transactions from the master file for the first 8
months of fiscal year 2005, using a confidence level of 80 percent, a test
materiality of $428 million, and an expected aggregate error amount of
$128 million.

Description of findings and results

Use of DUS with a confidence level of 80 percent, a test materiality of

$428 million, and an expected aggregate error amount of $128 million
resulted in a sample of 38 transactions for the first 8 months of fiscal
year 2005. All of the 38 transactions represented FUTA collections.3

C. For each sampled FUTA tax collection transaction:

1. Trace collection transaction amounts from IRS's master files to
supporting documents (e.g., federal tax deposit coupons) to determine
whether collection amounts are accurately recorded.

    Description of findings and results

Based on supporting documentation, collection amounts were accurately
recorded for all 38 sampled FUTA collection transactions.

           2. Compare the date in the master file with the date on source
           documents to determine whether amounts were recorded to the
           appropriate period.

    Description of findings and results

           Based on supporting documentation, collection amounts were
           recorded to the appropriate period for all 38 sampled FUTA
           collection transactions.

           3. Inspect source documentation maintained in IRS's files (e.g.,
           tax returns) to determine whether the transactions were properly
           classified as FUTA receipts.

    Description of findings and results

           Based on supporting documentation, collection amounts were
           recorded in the correct tax class4 for 37 of the 38 sampled
           transactions. One sampled transaction, which was mistakenly
           reported as a FUTA receipt by the taxpayer, should have been
           reported as a Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax
           payment (tax class 1). IRS discovered the error and made the
           correction after our sample cutoff date but before the end of the
           fiscal year.

           Based on our testing results, the net most likely error for the
           first 8 months of fiscal year 2005 is $155 million. The net upper
           error limit is $451 million.

           4. Confirm FUTA transactions paid via the Electronic Federal Tax
           Payment System (EFTPS)5 to determine whether the recorded
           transactions are valid and reflect the proper amounts, are applied
           to the proper tax period, and are properly classified as FUTA
           receipts.

    Description of findings and results

           Of the 38 sampled FUTA collection transactions, 32 were paid via
           EFTPS. The bank confirmations showed that 31 of the 32
           transactions were valid and had been recorded to the proper tax
           period and tax class and for the proper amounts. The remaining
           sampled EFTPS transaction, which was mistakenly reported as a FUTA
           receipt by the taxpayer, should have been reported as a FICA tax
           payment (tax class 1). IRS discovered the error and made the
           correction after our sample cutoff date but before the end of the
           fiscal year. This is the same error noted above in procedure
           I.C.3.

1The master file is a detailed database containing taxpayer information.

2For this procedure, "material" is defined as $428 million. This
represents 1 percent of net Unemployment Trust Fund collections reported
for fiscal year 2004.

3Consequently, procedures agreed to regarding refund transactions are not
applicable.

4IRS assigns a tax class number to specific types of taxes. FUTA taxes are
tax class 8.

5EFTPS is a Financial Management Service system maintained by two
financial agents for the government. EFTPS is used for initiating tax
payments electronically. Employers who make federal tax deposits exceeding
$200,000 must use EFTPS to pay their FUTA taxes. The $200,000 threshold
includes all federal tax deposits, such as deposits for employment tax,
excise tax, and corporate income tax. Taxpayers who are not required to
make electronic deposits may voluntarily participate in EFTPS.

II. Analytical procedures

           A. Perform a predictive test on FUTA revenue collections and
           refunds for the final four months of fiscal year 2005 and
           determine whether the predicted FUTA collection and refund amounts
           vary materially6 from the actual FUTA revenue collection and
           refund amounts per IRS's records for this period.

Description of findings and results

           The predicted FUTA revenue collection and refund data amounts for
           the final 4 months of fiscal year 2005 did not materially vary
           from the amounts for revenue collections and refunds per IRS's
           records for this period.

III. Other FUTA procedures

A. For each of the 12 months in fiscal year 2005, obtain supporting
documentation for monthly revenue reclassification adjustments transmitted
by IRS to the Financial Management Service (FMS). Compare the supporting
documentation with the reclassification adjustments transmitted to FMS.

Description of findings and results

Documentation was consistent with the monthly FUTA reclassification
adjustment amount transmitted to FMS for all 12 months of fiscal year
2005.

           B. For each of the 12 months in fiscal year 2005, obtain
           supporting documentation for the monthly entry of FUTA refund data
           into the Government Online Accounting Link System (GOALS) to
           charge back the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) account for FUTA tax
           refunds issued. Compare the supporting documentation with the
           monthly entries reported on GOALS.

Description of findings and results

           Documentation was consistent with the monthly FUTA refund amount
           entered into GOALS to charge the UTF for FUTA tax refunds issued
           for all 12 months of fiscal year 2005.

           C. Compare fiscal year 2005 net FUTA collections per IRS's draft
           statement of custodial activity and related footnote disclosures
           to (a) the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Public Debt
           (BPD) accounting records for UTF and

           (b) drafts of the Department of Labor's (DOL) consolidated
           financial statements to determine whether any significant
           variances exist.

6For this procedure, "material" is defined as $428 million.

                      Description of findings and results

There were no significant variances7 between net FUTA collections per
IRS's draft statement of custodial activity and BPD's accounting records
for UTF. Similarly, there were no significant variances between IRS's
draft statement of custodial activity and related footnote disclosures and
drafts of DOL's fiscal year 2005 consolidated financial statements.

  IV. Other procedures performed as part of the fiscal year 2005 IRS financial
                                statement audit

A. From IRS's master files for the first 8 months of fiscal year 2005, use
DUS to select statistical samples of (1) total tax revenue receipts and
(2) refunds. For each sample item, compare the receipt or refund amount,
tax period, and tax class from source documentation with those recorded in
IRS's master files.

        Description of findings and results

The receipt or refund amount, tax period, and tax class from source
documentation for 158 revenue receipts and 48 refund sample transactions
were consistent with those recorded in IRS's master files.

B. Obtain selected IRS service center campuses' monthly Treasury FMS 224
reconciliations8 and determine whether IRS-reported revenue receipts were
properly classified and materially9 reconciled to Treasury FMS records.
For refunds, obtain selected IRS service center campuses' monthly Treasury
FMS 224 reconciliations and determine whether IRS-reported total refunds
(all tax classes) materially reconciled to Treasury FMS records.

Description of findings and results

Tax revenue receipts reported by selected IRS service center campuses
through the monthly Treasury FMS 224 reconciliation process were properly
classified and materially reconciled to Treasury FMS records. Total
refunds reported by selected IRS service center campuses through the
monthly Treasury FMS 224 reconciliation process materially reconciled to
Treasury FMS records.

7For this procedure, "significant" is defined as $428 million.

8At the end of each month, each IRS campus provides Treasury its FMS 224
(Statement of Transactions) generated from IRS's general ledger reporting
receipts and refunds journalized during the month. Treasury reconciles the
amounts on the FMS 224 with its records and provides IRS a Statement of
Differences for any differences identified.

9For this procedure and procedure IV.C, we define "material" as $20
billion. This represents 1 percent of the estimated total tax revenue
receipts to be collected by IRS in fiscal year 2005.

           C. Compare tax revenue receipt balances by tax class, including
           FUTA, recorded in IRS's general ledger with IRS's master files and
           Treasury records to determine if they agree in all material
           respects. For refunds, compare total refund balances between the
           master files, the general ledger, and Treasury records to
           determine if they agree in all material respects.

        Description of findings and results

           Tax receipt balances for all tax classes, including FUTA, per
           IRS's general ledger, materially agreed with IRS's master files
           and Treasury records.

           Refund balances per IRS's general ledger materially agreed with
           the master files and with Treasury records.

(196032)

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright
protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this
work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the
copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material
separately.

GAO's Mission

The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation and
investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its
constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and
accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO
examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies;
and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help
Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO's
commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of
accountability, integrity, and reliability.

Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no cost
is through GAO's Web site ( www.gao.gov ). Each weekday, GAO posts newly
released reports, testimony, and correspondence on its Web site. To have
GAO e-mail you a list of newly posted products every afternoon, go to
www.gao.gov and select "Subscribe to Updates."

Order by Mail or Phone

The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2
each. A check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent of
Documents. GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or more
copies mailed to a single address are discounted 25 percent. Orders should
be sent to:

U.S. Government Accountability Office 441 G Street NW, Room LM Washington,
D.C. 20548

To order by Phone: Voice: (202) 512-6000 TDD: (202) 512-2537 Fax: (202)
512-6061

To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs

Contact:

Web site: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm E-mail: [email protected]
Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470

Congressional Relations

Gloria Jarmon, Managing Director, [email protected] (202) 512-4400 U.S.
Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7125 Washington,
D.C. 20548

Public Affairs

Paul Anderson, Managing Director, [email protected] (202) 512-4800 U.S.
Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 Washington,
D.C. 20548
*** End of document. ***