Meanwhile, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has issued a similar report regarding the IRS, finding that the agency has policies and controls designed to mitigate the risk of fraud and inappropriate spending, but that a few instances of it continue.
It said that the IRS identified and reported 11 instances of confirmed purchase card misuse and three potential instances pending final agency action. The confirmed cases involved restricted or prohibited item purchases totaling just above $600—out of a total of more than 44,000 purchases totaling almost $18 million in the last six months of fiscal 2014.
It said some purchases clearly were made for office, rather than personal, use since they involved items to restock office first aid kits. Others items, such as food, coffee, plastic cutlery, plates, cups, and napkins, might have been for either personal or office use.
“In most instances, an oral counseling or cautionary letter was provided to the employee by the IRS in response to the charge card violation. In a small number of instances, the cases were closed without disciplinary action by IRS managers,” it said, adding that the IRS is clarifying its policies on the purchase of such items.
