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The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, has revealed that approximately $4.7 trillion in payments from the Treasury Department lacked a crucial tracking code, making it nearly impossible to trace these transactions.
Missing Treasury Account Symbols Raise Concerns
According to DOGE, these payments were missing the Treasury Account Symbol (TAS), a unique identification code that links Treasury payments to specific budget allocations. The department emphasized that using the TAS code is a standard financial procedure to ensure proper tracking of government spending.
The Treasury Access Symbol (TAS) is an identification code linking a Treasury payment to a budget line item (standard financial process).
In the Federal Government, the TAS field was optional for ~$4.7 Trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost…
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 17, 2025
DOGE highlighted the issue in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “In the Federal Government, the TAS field was optional for ~$4.7 Trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost impossible.”
Mandatory TAS Code Implementation to Enhance Transparency
Following this major discovery, DOGE has made the use of TAS codes mandatory for all Treasury transactions. Elon Musk called this move a “significant improvement” in maintaining the integrity of government payments.
Musk praised the collaboration between DOGE, the Treasury Department, and the Federal Reserve, stating on X:
“This was a combined effort of DOGE, Treasury, and the Federal Reserve. Great work by all.”
The Treasury Department, which processes trillions of dollars in government payments annually, was one of the first agencies to work with DOGE after President Trump’s inauguration. DOGE personnel have been granted access to sensitive Treasury payment systems to detect and eliminate fraud, waste, and inefficiencies.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the structured approach of DOGE in a Bloomberg TV interview, stating:
“This is not just a roaming group… This is a methodical effort that will result in significant savings.”
DOGE Proposes Eliminating Paper Checks to Save $750 Million Annually
In its ongoing efforts to streamline government payments, DOGE has suggested eliminating paper checks issued by the Treasury Department, arguing that this shift could save taxpayers at least $750 million per year.
The proposal highlighted that the Treasury Department currently maintains a physical lockbox to handle over 100 million paper checks annually, at an estimated cost of $2.40 per check.
In fiscal year 2023, DOGE reported that around $25 billion in tax refunds were either delayed or lost due to returned or expired paper checks.
By digitizing payment systems, DOGE aims to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure government funds are properly allocated and tracked.
