A review of IRS executive travel costs has prompted the agency to implement a change in its travel policy restricting executives from being in travel status more than 75 nights in any fiscal year, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has said.
It said the IRS spent over $4.8 million in fiscal 2011 and $4.7 million in fiscal 2012 for executive travel, and found that a small number of executives had extremely high travel expenses compared to the rest of the executives, and that several executives reside outside the Washington area but frequently travel to the Washington, D.C. area to conduct day-to-day operations.
Some executives were in travel status for over 200 days out of the year, TIGTA found, noting they might not live in the best place to accomplish their roles and responsibilities.
The IRS agreed to require an analysis that compares the costs and benefits of a long-term travel situation to that of a temporary or permanent change of station, and that it demonstrates that the more favorable alternative was selected before placing an executive in long-term travel, TIGTA said.
It added that the agency issued guidance in June requiring that each executive position have an identified position post of duty and that the official station be identified as either location-specific or location-neutral.