Paperwork Reduction: Reported Burden Hour Increases Reflect New
Estimates, Not Actual Changes (Letter Report, 12/06/93, GAO/PEMD-94-3).

The U.S. government is the world's largest creator, collector,
distributor, and user of information.  From filing income tax returns to
applying for food stamps, the American citizen is faced with a
government form.  In addition, thousands of businesses, nonprofit
groups, and state and local governments fill out lengthy applications to
receive federal benefits or to remain eligible as government
contractors.  During 1992, Americans spent nearly 6.6 billion hours
filling out forms, answering survey questions, and compiling records for
the federal government--the equivalent of hiring more than 3 million
full-time workers annually to complete paperwork.  GAO estimates that
the federal paperwork burden, as measured in hours, increased 261
percent between 1987 and 1992, most of which is due to a Treasury
Department reassessment of the time it spends processing paperwork,
especially tax-related reporting and filing requirements at the Internal
Revenue Service. This report discusses in detail (1) how the paperwork
burden has changed over time, (2) what factors account for the observed
change, (3) whether some groups have been affected differently, and (4)
whether the reasons for information collection have changed.

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

 REPORTNUM:  PEMD-94-3
     TITLE:  Paperwork Reduction: Reported Burden Hour Increases Reflect 
             New Estimates, Not Actual Changes
      DATE:  12/06/93
   SUBJECT:  Paperwork
             Accounting procedures
             Data collection operations
             Management information systems
             Information gathering operations
             Reporting requirements
             Policy evaluation
             Statutory law
             Income taxes
             Data integrity
IDENTIFIER:  OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
             FCIC Disaster Payment Program
             Medicare Program
             EPA Public Water Supply Supervision Program
             Emergency Response Communications Program
             DOD Data Requirements Control List
             DOD Acquisition Management System
             DOJ Employment Eligibility Verification Program
             
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