The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has identified $4.7 trillion in Treasury payments that were made without a critical tracking code, raising concerns over federal financial transparency. The transactions, which were missing the Treasury Account Symbol (TAS), accounted for nearly 70% of federal expenditures in fiscal year 2024.
DOGE, an entity associated with Elon Musk and tasked with cutting government spending, disclosed the findings late Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter. "The Treasury Account Symbol (TAS) is an identification code linking a Treasury payment to a budget line item (standard financial process)," DOGE stated. "In the Federal Government, the TAS field was optional for ~$4.7 Trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost impossible."
Following this revelation, DOGE announced that the use of TAS codes would now be mandatory, a move Musk called a "major improvement in Treasury payment integrity." He praised DOGE, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve for collaborating on the effort.
The Treasury Department has yet to issue a formal response, but the issue has drawn political scrutiny. Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan suggested the figure closely resembles the proposed $4.5 trillion in new deficits associated with Republican-backed tax cuts. "It's about finding the $4.7 trillion they need to fund the tax cuts for the wealthiest - including themselves," Pocan wrote on X. "It's never about the middle class."
DOGE's role in federal financial oversight has become increasingly controversial. The organization gained access to a Treasury payment system managing trillions of dollars in federal transactions, including Social Security benefits and tax refunds. Democrats have raised concerns over DOGE's expanding influence and its potential access to sensitive taxpayer data within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Last week, a federal judge extended a block preventing DOGE staffers from further accessing the Treasury's payment system. Despite this, DOGE has continued advocating for spending reductions. The organization claims that eliminating paper checks issued by federal agencies could save $750 million annually. It noted that the Treasury processed 116 million paper checks in fiscal year 2024, maintaining a costly "physical lockbox" network for tax and passport-related payments.
DOGE's activities have gained traction within Republican circles. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, chair of the House Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee, wrote on X: "$4.7 TRILLION in untraceable payments!!!!! That's 4.7 trillion reasons that make it hard to believe this was a mistake or incompetence even."
Musk has positioned DOGE as a force for financial accountability and cost-cutting within the federal government. He could cut "at least $2 trillion" from government spending by eradicating "waste", Musk stated in a recent address, underscoring DOGE's ambition to trim nearly 30% of total federal expenditures.
