Reports

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Management Took Actions to Address Erroneous Employee Retention Credit Claims; However, Some Questionable Claims Still Need to Be Addressed

Audit | 9/30/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD Grantees Need to Enhance Monitoring of ESG CARES Act Subrecipients

We audited HUD and its grantees’ monitoring of subrecipients and contractors in HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG-CV) program to assess subrecipient monitoring in the program. ESG and ESG-CV grantees often rely on subrecipients and contractors to carry out ESG-CV-funded activities on behalf of the grantees, and are required to monitor subrecipients to ensure that the purpose of the grant funds awarded is achieved and funds are spent on only eligible applicants and activities. HUD is responsible for ensuring that grantees are performing...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/17/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

The City and County of Honolulu Should Improve Its Fraud Risk Management Practices for Its ESG CARES Act Program

We audited the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services’ and Department of Community Services’ (City) fraud risk management practices for its Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG CARES Act) program with the objective of assessing the maturity of the City’s fraud risk management framework that encompasses control activities to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud. Fraudulent activity in the ESG CARES Act program can lead to significant financial losses; reputational damage to the grantee and the U.S. Department of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/06/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Housing and Community Development Should Improve Its Fraud Risk Management Practices for Its ESG CARES Act Program

We audited the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with the objective of evaluating HCD’s fraud risk management practices for its Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG CARES Act) program and assessing the maturity of its efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud. Fraudulent activity in the ESG CARES Act program can lead to significant financial losses, reputational damage to the grantee and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), breach of fiduciary duty, and most importantly, loss of funding...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/02/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Servicers Followed the COVID-19 Foreclosure Moratorium Requirements but Could Have Better Communicated the Requirements to Borrowers

Servicers followed the COVID-19 pandemic foreclosure moratorium requirements. However, they could have better communicated the moratorium requirements to delinquent borrowers who were subject to foreclosure proceedings. This situation occurred because HUD did not require servicers to notify borrowers directly about the foreclosure moratorium and that occupancy would pause the foreclosure process. Borrowers who were not informed about the moratorium or impacts of vacancy could have abandoned their homes, not realizing that remaining in the home would have afforded them additional time to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/24/2024

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The IRS Continues to Reduce Backlog Inventories in the Tax Processing Centers

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/18/2024

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Action Is Being Taken to Address the System Limitation That Contributed to the Destruction of Tax Year 2019 Paper‑Filed Information Returns

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Processing of Recovery Rebate Credit Claims During the 2022 Filing Season

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/24/2023

1 - Closed

On March 14, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns regarding the accuracy of COVID Tax Tip 2022-29 regarding Internal Revenue Code §§ 6428B(f) and 6428B(h). Specifically, the guidance states incorrectly that taxpayers can claim the RRC for a shared dependent even if the IRS has already made an advance payment for the dependent. We recommended that the IRS revise the Tax Tip and related Frequently Asked Questions, etc., to state that taxpayers who share qualifying dependents are required to reduce the amount of the RRC claimed by the advance payment issued to either parent on behalf of the dependent.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should review the 274,865 individuals identified where the IRS issued an RRC to potentially ineligible dependents and nonresidents and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

3 - Closed

Continue to periodically issue information on the availability of the RRC and how to claim it through Frequently Asked Questions on IRS.gov, communications with tax return preparers, annual unclaimed refund announcements, etc. until the statutory period for taxpayers to file a Tax Year 2020 and 2021 tax return to claim the RRC has expired.

4 - Closed

Send a letter to the nearly 3 million individuals we identified where the tax return data show the individual is potentially eligible for the RRC encouraging the individuals to amend their Tax Year 2021 return and claim the credit if eligible. The letter should clearly state the eligibility requirements for claiming the RRC in simple terms and direct the individuals to additional resources if needed to assist them in determining whether they are eligible.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD’s Assistance and Grantee Challenges With the Office of Native American Programs’ COVID-19 Recovery Programs

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Native American Programs’ (ONAP) coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) recovery programs. We performed this audit to provide HUD with insight and a nationwide perspective on the challenges that grantees experienced with those programs. Our audit objectives were to identify 1) the information, guidance, and training HUD provided to the grantees for the ONAP COVID-19 recovery programs and 2) the challenges that grantees faced in implementing and using program-provided funding.HUD provided information, guidance, and...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Assessment of the Expanded Child and Dependent Care and Earned Income Tax Credits

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/15/2023

1 - Closed

On February 17, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our concern with three business rules and recommended that IRS management update the business rule programming to identify and evaluate returns for both refundable and nonrefundable CDCC claims.

2 - Closed

Ensure that programming is updated for Processing Year 2023 to identify taxpayers who reported an obviously invalid care provider TIN on Form 2441.

3 - Closed

Develop a tool or programming for Error Resolution to ensure that tax returns claiming prior year expenses are systemically identified to determine if the maximum CDCC had been claimed in the prior year, before processing the return and potentially releasing erroneous refunds.

4 - Closed

Work with the Department of the Treasury, Office of Tax Policy, to advance legislation to treat a tax return as filed only when it is accepted. This would remove the legal risks associated with rejecting tax returns with conditions that indicate the taxpayer is ineligible for refundable credits claimed on the return.

5 - Closed

If legislation is enacted, develop programming to reject e-filed returns meeting certain conditions, such as those noted in this report.

6 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that the compliance filter criteria for identifying individuals claiming self-only EITC who are not eligible for work is updated to include the *************************.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should establish processes to compare subsequent legislative changes with compliance filterprogramming to identify and make necessary changes, as needed.

8 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should review the 774,559 returns with self-only EITC from potentially ineligible ******** and take actions needed to recover credits that are determined to be erroneous.

9 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should complete examinations for all 61 tax returns we identified to ensure taxpayers receive the correct CDCC amounts.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Continued Review of Premium Tax Credit Provisions

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/14/2023

1 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, and the Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, should consider expanding the use of soft notices to address potentially erroneous PTC claims. These notices should provide individuals with information specific to the eligibility or reporting requirements related to the potential error the IRS identified and suggest the filing of an amended return, if an error has occurred.

2 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should notify the 317,418 taxpayers we identified, who potentially received less PTC than they were entitled or repaid more APTC than required, that they may qualify for additional PTC or overpaid APTC and encourage them to file an amended Tax Year 2021 return, if applicable.

2 - Closed

3 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop processes, such as the use of courtesy letters to notify individuals of their potential eligibility, to proactively assist taxpayers who, based on available tax return and Exchange data, potentially claimed less PTC than entitled or paid more APTC than required.

3 - Closed

4 - Closed

On October 26, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, of our concerns regarding taxpayers who are potentially eligible for additional PTC based on their unemployment status during Tax Year 2021. We recommended that the Director, Submission Processing, notify these taxpayers that they may qualify for additional PTC or be able to reduce the amount of excess APTC they must repay and encourage them to file an amended Tax Year 2021 return, if they qualify.

5 - Closed

On October 25, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, of our concerns with the draft Tax Year 2022 Form 8962 instructions. We recommended that the IRS revise the instructions to inform taxpayers that they have an option to set a domestic violence indicator on their tax return.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Review of the Reconciliation of the Child Tax Credit

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/14/2023

1 - Closed

Review all of the 6,833 taxpayers with excess Child Tax Credit identified during our review and take appropriate actions to ensure that the taxpayers receive the correct amount of the Child Tax Credit.

2 - Closed

Identify additional taxpayers after May 5, 2022, who received excess Child Tax Credit as a result of tax examiner error and take appropriate actions to ensure that these taxpayers receive the correct amount of the Child Tax Credit.

3 - Closed

Review the 105 taxpayers who potentially did not receive all of their eligible Child Tax Credit identified during our review and take appropriate actions to ensure that they receive the correct amount of the Child Tax Credit.

4 - Closed

Evaluate the priority of programming to ensure that processes and procedures are developed to identify and correct tax examiner entries input during the error correction process that exceed statutory limits, including a process to systemically reprocess corrected returns through Error Resolution programming before being released for processing.

5 - Closed

On February 17, 2022, we notified IRS management of our concerns with undeliverable payments that post after the processing of the tax return. In these instances, the IRS processed the tax return as if the payment was received by the taxpayer. As a result, the taxpayer would receive less Child Tax Credit than they are eligible to receive. We recommended that the IRS develop a process to identify undeliverable payments after processing of the TY 2021 tax return.

6 - Closed

Identify taxpayers with advance payments who have yet to file a TY 2021 tax return and send a reminder notice, similar to the Department of the Treasury, using the advance payments as part of the criteria.

7 - Closed

Work with the Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, to create a process to recover potentially erroneous advance payments from taxpayers who have not filed a TY 2021 tax return.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Nationstar Generally Did Not Meet HUD Requirements When Providing Loss Mitigation to Borrowers of Delinquent FHA-Insured Loans

We audited Nationstar Mortgage, LLC’s (doing business as Mr. Cooper (Nationstar)) compliance with the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) requirements for providing loss mitigation assistance to borrowers after their COVID-19 forbearance ended. We concurrently conducted a nationwide audit of servicers’ compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) COVID-19 loss mitigation requirements (HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report 2023-KC-0005). This audit complements that audit by examining how a single provider, Nationstar, provided loss mitigation for...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Servicers Generally Did Not Meet HUD Requirements When Providing Loss Mitigation Assistance to Borrowers With Delinquent FHA-Insured Loans

We performed an audit of loan servicers’ compliance with the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) requirements for providing loss mitigation assistance to borrowers after their COVID-19 forbearance ended. We initiated the audit based on the large number of borrowers exiting forbearance, because the loss mitigation programs available to these borrowers were new and created a risk for both borrowers and the FHA insurance fund when servicers do not properly provide loss mitigation. Our audit objective was to determine whether servicers provided borrowers of FHA-insured loans proper loss...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/13/2023

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Improvements Are Needed To Ensure That Public Housing Properties Are Inspected in a Timely Manner

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Real Estate Assessment Center’s inspection process. The audit objectives were to determine whether the Center (1) ensured that public housing properties were inspected within required timeframes before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; (2) could improve its Big Inspection Plan for inspecting high-priority non-National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) demonstration public housing properties; and (3) had experienced delays in inspecting the physical condition of public housing...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/23/2023

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Recurring Identification Is Needed to Ensure That Employers Full Pay the Deferred Social Security Tax

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/22/2023

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD Can Improve Oversight of Its Temporary Endorsement Policy for Loans in COVID-19 Forbearance

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) temporary policy for endorsement of loans with COVID-19 forbearance activity because an analysis of data in HUD’s systems showed that there may have been loans that did not comply with the policy’s requirements. The policy was one aspect of HUD’s broader emergency response to COVID-19, which also included an eviction moratorium and loan forbearance for borrowers experiencing financial hardship. The objectives of the audit were to determine (1) whether HUD’s temporary endorsement policy related to COVID-19 forbearance...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/15/2023

2023-NY-0002-001-A - Open

Require lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years for each of the 20 loans for which the lenders did not comply with the temporary endorsement policy and related instructions, including loans for which the lenders did not execute an agreement when required or that were otherwise ineligible for insurance, and properly store the agreements and record the agreement data to put up to $1,811,238 to better use by avoiding potential losses.

2023-NY-0002-001-B - Open

Obtain guidance from the Office of General Counsel regarding the implications of allowing lenders to retroactively apply forbearance in cases in which the borrower requests forbearance after the lender submits the loan for endorsement to ensure that it consistently handles such cases.

2023-NY-0002-001-C - Open

Request and analyze data from lenders for the 3,024 loans at risk of noncompliance to identify loans that should have been subject to the temporary endorsement policy or were otherwise ineligible for insurance. The data requested should include but not be limited to the dates when the borrower requested forbearance, the loan became subject to forbearance, and the loan was submitted for endorsement.

2023-NY-0002-001-D - Open

For any of the 3,024 loans found to be subject to the temporary policy or otherwise ineligible for insurance, require the lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years or reimburse HUD for any claims to put up to $26,840,071 to better use by protecting HUD against potential losses. For any indemnification agreements executed, HUD should properly store the agreements and record the agreement data.

2023-NY-0002-001-G - Open

Record indemnification agreement data in its system for the 34 loans for which the lender properly executed an indemnification agreement before endorsement and HUD had not recorded the agreement in its system to put up to $3,493,636 to better use by avoiding potential losses.

2023-NY-0002-001-H - Open

Review and correct indemnification agreement data in HUD's computer systems as needed for all agreements currently classified as having 2-year terms and all agreements related to 2-year agreements contained on its SharePoint site to ensure that its systems contain accurate data for monitoring and enforcement of agreements. This recommendation includes but is not limited to reviewing the agreement number, agreement term, billing lender, expiration date, refinance indicator, and source indicator.

2023-NY-0002-001-I - Open

Update indemnification agreements or obtain updated indemnification agreements for the 30 loans for which the indemnification agreements had incorrect or missing information or were not signed by HUD and upload them to its SharePoint site so that such agreements are properly executed and can be traced to HUD's computer systems for future use.

2023-NY-0002-001-J - Open

Consider evaluating whether and how a similar policy for disasters or emergencies or a permanent version of the policy could be used to manage risk to the insurance fund while increasing lender participation. This should include further studying lenders' use of the policy and the long-term performance of loans endorsed under it. It could also include reviewing the compliance, guidance, and process issues identified during this audit and through the resolution of the other recommendations to refine any future endorsement policies related to forbearance.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Additional Actions Are Needed to Reduce Accounts Management Function Inventories to Below Pre‑Pandemic Levels

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/10/2023

1 - Closed

Ensure that all sites understand and begin immediately stamping the ICT received date after correspondence screening is completed, and that individual and business documents are screened with equal importance.

10 - Open

Coordinate with the Information Technology organization to explore adding Taxpayer Relations inventories into the CII, so that all Accounts Management inventory is located in the same inventory management system.

11 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should establish time frames for and a process to measure correspondence screening timeliness at each site.

12 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should rescind the requirement that only the TEs and the CSRs perform correspondencescreening and encourage all sites to use mail clerks, after providing them with adequate training.

13 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure prompt completion of the ICT review to determine if additional scanners will be purchased.

2 - Closed

Discontinue correspondence screening via telework and ensure at all sites that screening must be conducted in the same IRS facility where documents are being scanned by the ICT.

3 - Closed

Identify and address the cause of Accounts Management function employees incorrectly routing cases to other IRS functions and work with other IRS functions to update their Internal Revenue Manuals to make it clear that incorrectly routed documents should be returned to the originating employee.

4 - Closed

We recommended that management take steps to hire as many mail clerks as possible.

5 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should establish goals for each of the Accounts Management function’s inventory types and develop a plan for addressing those goals to ensure a timely return to pre-pandemic inventory levels.

6 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment, should prioritize funding and implementation of automated processing of Forms 1040-X to increase efficiencies and reduce taxpayer burden.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should implement temporary solutions for the processing of Forms 1040-X to reduce the backlogs, reduce taxpayer burden, and save IRS resources until an automated solution is implemented.

8 - Open

Coordinate with the Information Technology organization to prevent generating transcripts for manual refunds less than $100 and adjust the frequency that some transcripts are generated to help management get through the inventory more efficiently.

9 - Closed

Temporarily relieve employees in the Accounts Management function from having to complete paperwork for barred statutes, so they can focus on eliminating the backlogged inventory and prevent future barred statutes.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD’s Communication to Homeowners About COVID-19 Policies

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) efforts to proactively communicate information related to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) to homeowners with Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgages. We initiated this work based on a U.S. Government Accountability Office report that identified helping borrowers understand the protections available to them as a key challenge and prior audit and evaluation work that found issues related to communication and COVID-19. Our audit objective was to assess HUD’s communication to homeowners with FHA...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Review of Drawdown Levels and Publicly Available Information on the Office of Native American Programs’ CARES Act and ARP Act Block Grants

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Native American Programs’ (ONAP) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to identify drawdown levels for its block grant programs and assessed information ONAP made publicly available.As of October 4, 2022, grantees had drawn $231.6 million of the $300 million in CARES Act block grant funds and $135.8 million of the $735 million in ARP Act block grant funds. A total of $19.1 million of the appropriated funds was not authorized for access to grantees because...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Backlogs of Tax Returns and Other Account Work Will Continue Into the 2023 Filing Season

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Fraud Risk Inventory for the Tenant- and Project-Based Rental Assistance, HOME, and Operating Fund Programs’ CARES and ARP Act Funds

In coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, we conducted an audit to identify potential fraud schemes that could affect HUD’s pandemic funds. We reviewed the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Public Housing Operating Fund programs to identify the fraud risks and potential fraud schemes that they face while delivering services to the public.Our objective was to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/29/2022

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Community Development Block Grant CARES Act Implementation Challenges

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act program.Our audit objective was to determine what challenges grantees faced in using program funds for activities that prepare for, prevent, or respond to the coronavirus and its impact. We used a survey questionnaire to gather feedback and insight directly from 1,047 program grantees. As of July 30, 2022, grantees had drawn more than $1.79 billion, or 36 percent, of the $4.99 billion in program funds. We performed this audit to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Reporting on the Use of Coronavirus Response Funding Could Be Enhanced

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Accuracy of Advance Child Tax Credit Periodic Payments

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/21/2022

1 - Closed

As detailed previously, we provided the Director, Return Integrity and Compliance Services, Wage and Investment Division, with notifications and files detailing erroneous payments we identified and recommended that the IRS evaluate the discrepancies to identify why the payments were made to prevent additional periodic payments to ineligible taxpayers. In addition, we recommended that the IRS add a stop payment transaction code to taxpayer accounts to prevent them from receiving additional improper advance Child Tax Credit payments.

2 - Closed

On August 9, 2021, we notified the Director, Return Integrity and Compliance Services, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns related to eligible taxpayers who did not receive their advance Child Tax Credit payments. We recommended that the IRS evaluate the discrepancies to identify why periodic payments were not made to eligible taxpayers.

3 - Closed

On June 29, 2021, we notified the Director, Return Integrity and Compliance Services, Wage and Investment Division, that the messaging provided on the IRS’s eligibility assistant tool and the presentation of information related to the advance Child Tax Credit payments on IRS.gov may be confusing to taxpayers. For example, the link to “Get Answers on the Advance Child Tax Credit” that is located on the IRS.gov main page takes taxpayers to the Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021 web page; however, the links to get the questions and answers is at the bottom of the screen. We recommended that the IRS consider revising the messaging and presentation of information on its platforms to make it clear for taxpayers.

4 - Closed

On January 28, 2022, we notified the Director, Return Integrity and Compliance Services, Wage and Investment Division, that we identified 2.2 million taxpayers who had their direct deposit information updated by the IRS between August 23 and October 5, 2021. We recommended that the IRS conduct an outreach effort to inform taxpayers of the possibility that their advance payments may have been sent to payroll allotment accounts. This outreach effort could include sending a separate letter to the impacted taxpayers.

5 - Closed

The Director, Return Integrity and Compliance Services, Wage and Investment Division, should develop and implement processes and procedures to include data validation on incoming files from third-party sources prior to their use.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Delays in Management Actions Contribute to the Continued Tax Processing Center Backlogs

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/16/2022

1 - Closed

On September 16, 2021, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, that the IRS needed to identify when to stop coding and editing9 prior year tax returns to prevent having to rework these returns (a situation that occurred during the 2020 Filing Season). For example, the IRS needed to send 822,994 business tax returns back to the Code and Edit function at the beginning of Processing Year 2021 to be re-edited to allow for processing. This occurred because these tax returns, although edited, had not been entered into the IRS’s tax processing system by the end of Processing Year 2020. This resulted in an inefficient use of the IRS’s resources because IRS employees needed to re-edit the tax returns. We recommended that the IRS develop a plan to not only limit the number of returns that would require rework, but also any potential downtime in the Code and Edit function so that resources can be maximized for processing tax returns.

2 - Closed

On September 29, 2021, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our observation that paper-filed information returns were being sorted and batched. According to both Tax Processing Centers, a decision had not yet been made regarding if the information return documents will be processed or destroyed. As we reported in September 2021,10 the IRS faced similar decisions during Processing Year 2020 and destroyed approximately 30 million paper-filed information return documents around March 19, 2021, because the documents could no longer be processed through its systems. We recommended that the IRS determine if/when Processing Year 2021 paper-filed information return documents would be processed. As an alternative to destroying these documents, we recommended that management evaluate and consider scanning the information return documents using the Service Center Recognition Image Processing System while forgoing the data validation process.

3 - Closed

On September 17, 2021, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns with the processing of a backlog of taxpayer address changes using a first-in/first-out method. As of August 27, 2021, the Ogden Entity function had more than 173,000 address change requests in its ending inventory. In our discussions with Ogden Entity function management, they estimated that due to the backlog of inventory, more than 50 percent of the address change requests the staff were working had already been made by other means, e.g., the filing of a tax return that automatically updates the taxpayer’s address. As such, Entity function employees were needlessly expending resources working address change requests for which the address was already updated. We recommended that the IRS evaluate changing the order in which address changes are worked to a last-in/first-out method.

4 - Closed

On October 21, 2021, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns related to the accuracy of information communicated to taxpayers regarding transcript request methods. For example, our review of information posted on IRS.gov found that non-paper-based methods for requesting tax transcripts were not communicated clearly. Whereas, the Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, and Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return, provide information for automated self-help service tools. We also found that the instructions on the Forms 4506 and 4506-T do not align with the website wording and could cause confusion for taxpayers. We recommended that IRS management update IRS.gov to provide clear communications on available resources. This includes updating the Forms 4506 and 4506-T tip sections to match IRS.gov language and conducting outreach to encourage individual taxpayers to obtain tax transcripts using the various automated methods.

5 - Closed

On September 16, 2021, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns about the printing capacity of the new electronic fax (e-fax) equipment in the Error Resolution System functional area, noting that this new equipment can only print about 20,000 to 30,000 pages/month (approximately 240,000/year) whereas, the prior equipment printed roughly 2 million documents per year. In addition, in the three months since Ogden received this new equipment, it has burned out and needed new parts. Although Ogden ordered new multifunctional print devices, those were not to be delivered until January 2022. As a workaround, Ogden used two printers that had a capacity of about 15,000 pages per month. We recommended that the Submission Processing function collaborate with Managed Print Services and the Information Technology organization to identify and expeditiously resolve all instances of printer capacity, break/fix, etc. issues that are causing work stoppages in the Tax Processing Centers.

6 - Closed

On December 17, 2021, we notified the Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, of our concern that the resources assigned to the RAIVS unit were not commensurate between the Kansas City and Ogden Tax Processing Centers. In our discussions, IRS management advised that taxpayer tax transcript requests had been previously transshipped from the Kansas City Tax Processing Center to the Austin Tax Processing Center with the last transshipment of work occurring in October 2021. On January 11, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, Wage and Investment Division, of the same concern noting that during our December 2021 walkthroughs, Kansas City management stated they have 70 full-time employees in the RAIVS/Income Verification Express Service’s unit. Whereas, Ogden management stated they have 183 full-time employees. As of December 10, 2021, the Kansas City RAIVS unit had over 751,000 unprocessed requests compared to a little more than 145,000 unprocessed requests in the Ogden RAIVS unit. We recommended that the IRS evaluate alternatives to address the volume of RAIVS inventory at the Kansas City Tax Processing Center. This should include an evaluation of the capacity to reallocate staffing at the Kansas City Tax Processing Center to assist the RAIVS unit, and/or realignment of work among the various Tax Processing Centers, i.e., transship inventory from Kansas City to Ogden.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should immediately take steps to address the imbalance of Tax Processing Center staffing and inventory to address the continued backlog of transcript requests.

8 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a detailed strategy to show how current and future staffing resources, including available surge team members, will be used to address the significant backlog of amended returns in the Submission Processing function’s inventory.

9 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment, should ensure that the various products and IRS.gov landing pages are updated to reflect acceptable methods for faxing information to the IRS.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The IRS’s Inability to Keep Pace with Non-Corporate Applications for Refund of Net Operating Losses Under the CARES Act Has Cost Taxpayers Millions of Dollars in Additional Interest

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/07/2022

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The IRS Effectively Planned to Use and Provide Oversight of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds; However, Subsequent Reallocation of Modernization Funds Resulted in Significant Replanning

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Compliance Efforts Are Needed to Address Refund Claims Reported on Form 1139 That Are Based on the CARES Act Net Operating Loss Carryback Provisions

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/31/2022

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Delays Continue to Result in Businesses Not Receiving Pandemic Relief Benefits

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/31/2022

1 - Closed

On November 22, 2021, we notified the Director, Customer Account Services, Wage and Investment Division, that IRS employees were erroneously suspending Forms 941-X when the amended employment tax return did not include an adjustment to the amount of deferred Social Security tax. We recommended that the Accounts Management function immediately review the Forms 941-X that are identified in the suspense inventory as an adjustment to the amount of deferred Social Security tax to ensure that they are categorized properly.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should evaluate the current inventory of backlogged claims related to pandemic relief and develop specific plans to prioritize claims and develop timelines to process backlogged claims.

3 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should review the 928 business entities identified that do not appear to qualify as an RSB and take actions needed to recover the ERCs that are determined to be erroneous.

4 - Closed

The Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, should identify all fourth quarter Tax Year 2021 paper-filed Forms 941 processed prior to when the programming was implemented and identify amended employment tax returns receiving the ERC for which there was no indication that the business was an RSB and take actions needed to recover the ERCs that are determined to be erroneous.

5 - Closed

On May 13, 2021, we notified the Director, Examination, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, about the inconsistent referral criteria and recommended that the IRS update referral criteria to include Forms 941-X with refundable credits.

6 - Closed

On November 23, 2021, we alerted the Director, Customer Account Services, Wage and Investment Division, that Forms 941-X were not being referred to Examination as required and recommended that the Accounts Management function provide additional guidance to its employees to reinforce established CAT-A referral criteria.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should review the 41 Form 941-X claims identified with a nonrefundable COVID-19 related employer credit that meet CAT-A referral criteria and take actions needed to recover credits that are determined to be erroneous.

8 - Closed

Provide additional training to employees as it relates to referring Forms 941-X to Examination for review.

9 - Closed

Submit a request for the development of a systemic process to identify Form 941-X claims that meet referral criteria and alert the Accounts Management employee when processing these claims of the need to refer the return to Examination.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Emergency Solutions Grants CARES Act Implementation Challenges

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (ESG-CV) program. Our audit objective was to determine what challenges ESG-CV grant recipients faced in implementing the program and using grant funds. We used a survey questionnaire to gather feedback and insight directly from the 362 recipients of ESG-CV grants. At the time we initiated this audit in July 2021, ESG-CV grant recipients had spent $563,178,336 of available $3.96 billion grant funds. We performed this audit to assist...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Assessment of the Child Tax Credit Update Portal’s Capabilities and Related Processes

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Fingerprinting and Employment Eligibility Verification Delays Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic May Increase Taxpayer Data Exposure Risks

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/07/2022

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Final Report – The IRS Leveraged Its Telework Program to Continue Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Processing of Recovery Rebate Credit Claims During the 2021 Filing Season

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/19/2022

1 - Open

On June 15, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns with the systemic calculation of the allowable RRC amount. We recommended that IRS management review the returns we identified and provide us with any corrective actions they intended to take.

10 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC for a qualifying child for which the IRS has already paid an EIP or an RRC to someone else and take the actions needed to recover RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

11 - Closed

Review the 7,022 individuals identified in which the IRS issued multiple RRCs for a qualifying child who was claimed on more than one tax return and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

12 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC for a qualifying child who was claimed on more than one tax return and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

13 - Closed

Review the 75,594 tax returns identified in which the individual is potentially a nonresident alien and take the actions needed to recover the RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

14 - Closed

Perform analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns filed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional tax returns with the same characteristics as those the IRS determined were filed by a nonresident alien and take the actions needed to recover erroneous RRC payments.

15 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should coordinate with the Territories to confirm and recover erroneous RRCs.

16 - Closed

Review the nearly 6.9 million potentially eligible individuals we provided to the IRS who had not filed a Tax Year 2020 tax return as of May 27, 2021, and send a letter to those individuals who still have not filed a Tax Year 2020 return to encourage them to file a return and claim the RRC if eligible.

17 - Closed

Review the 3.1 million eligible individuals we identified who filed a Tax Year 2020 return and proactively issue these taxpayers their credit.

18 - Closed

Conduct additional analysis to identify tax returns filed after May 27, 2021, in which an individual is eligible for the RRC based on their Tax Year 2020 tax return and did not claim the credit, and proactively issue the taxpayer their credit.

19 - Closed

If IRS management does not proactively issue the RRC to individuals who filed a return and did not claim the credit, the IRS should notify these individuals that they are eligible to claim the RRC and should file an amended tax return to claim the credit.

2 - Closed

On March 19, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns that an incorrect amount of advance payments was being used to calculate the RRC for some taxpayers. We recommended that IRS management review the returns we identified and provide us with any corrective actions they intended to take.

20 - Closed

Work with the BFS to ensure that individuals who were denied the RRC and have still not activated their EIP1 or EIP2 debit card as of December 31, 2021, have EIPs reversed in their tax account and are issued their RRC. These processes should include notifying Metabank that the debit cards in question are to be cancelled.

21 - Closed

Work with the BFS to obtain recurring data during Processing Year 2022 to identify individuals who have not activated their advance ARPA RRC debit card at the time a return is filed and implement processes to reverse the advance payment so these individuals can receive the RRC on their Tax Year 2021 tax return.

22 - Closed

We alerted the Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns that the IRS was unnecessarily burdening taxpayers whose RRC claims were identified for manual ERS review. We recommended the IRS develop processes to systemically adjust RRC claims using the computer-generated RRC calculation.

3 - Closed

On April 6, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns regarding ERS tax examiners incorrectly computing the RRC (see management’s action in response to Recommendation 1). We recommended the IRS review the returns we identified and take the actions necessary to ensure that these taxpayers receive the amount of the RRC they are entitled to receive.

4 - Closed

On March 12, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns that some tax returns were not being identified by fraud filters. We recommended IRS management review the returns we identified and associated fraud filters to identify why these returns were not selected and make programming changes as necessary to ensure proper identification of returns with potentially questionable claims.

5 - Closed

Conduct analysis to identify Tax Year 2020 RRC claims processed after May 27, 2021, to identify other returns in which ERS tax examiners incorrectly calculated the number of allowable dependents and returns that were not reprocessed per IRS guidance after programming was corrected, and ensure that these taxpayers receive the correct amount of the RRC.

6 - Closed

Review the 14,508 individuals identified in which the IRS issued an RRC to an individual who was claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return but did not check the dependent box and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

7 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC and were also claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return but did not check the dependent box, and take the actions needed to recover the RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

8 - Closed

Review the 238,680 individuals under the age of 25 identified as potential dependents and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

9 - Closed

Review the 15,741 individuals identified in which the individual incorrectly received an RRC and an EIP for the same qualifying child and take the actions needed to recover RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The Child Tax Credit Update Portal Was Successfully Deployed, but Security and Process Improvements Are Needed

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/18/2022

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

5 - Open

The Chief Privacy Officer should establish a process that complies with Office of Management and Budget requirements regarding the selection, implementation, assessment, and continuous monitoring of privacy controls.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

8 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the IRS prioritizes completing the processes that will validate newly built servers being placed into the production environment meet minimum compliance requirements and initiate vulnerability scanning and remediation during the server build process.

8 - Closed

9 - Closed

Ensure that all CTC Update Portal and SADI system associated POA&Ms (listed in Appendix II) are completed timely based on IRS-defined timelines and processes.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Challenges Faced by Section 232 Nursing Homes During the Pandemic

We conducted a limited review of nursing home owners to identify their operational challenges and needs of nursing homes in responding to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Our objective was to determine the biggest challenges operators of Section 232 nursing home facilities face related to the COVID-19 pandemic and whether nursing homes are prepared to meet their future financial obligations. Most of the owners who responded to our survey indicated that nursing homes experienced financial and operational challenges during the pandemic. These challenges included staffing...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Implementation of Advance Recovery Rebate Credit Payments

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/21/2022

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Program and Organizational Changes Are Needed to Address the Continued Inadequate Tax Account Assistance Provided to Taxpayers

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/18/2022

1 - Closed

On September 20, 2021, we notified the Director, Accounts Management, that the Austin site was not requiring Accounts Management screeners to come into the office to perform their duties, resulting in a significant backlog and delays in inventory being routed to Accounts Management to be worked. We recommended that the IRS establish consistent guidance and clarification on when resources can be directed to the office to help with screening inventory, to ensure that sufficient staff is available to screen documents in a timely manner, and establish processes to monitor the progress,

10 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should update existing scanning software or obtain a new scanning software to address document capacity concerns.

11 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that programming is updated to systemically reject electronic submissions of Forms 2848 and 8821 when missing one of the five essential elements (name, address, signature, etc.) without manually mailing a rejection letter.

12 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that the rejection letter used for Forms 2848 and 8821 is updated to include language that a revised form can be submitted electronically via an IRS Tax Pro Account25 or through Taxpayer Digital Communication.

13 - Closed

Develop an action plan to prioritize the continued expansion of documents that can be sent in via electronic fax and converted into a CIS image.

13 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop an action plan to prioritize the continued expansion of documents that can be sent in via electronic fax and converted into a Correspondence Imaging System (CIS) image.

14 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should Identify priority work that needs to be expedited by the Image Control Team (ICT) and assess the feasibility of creating an electronic fax number to receive this inventory.

15 - Closed

On July 12, 2021, TiGTA notified the Director, Accounts Management, of concerns regarding inaccuracies as it related to the compiling and reporting of the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR). TIGTA recommended that the IRS perform a reconciliation of each Accounts Management site’s AMIR to the source reports to identify inventory inconsistencies and reporting errors by site

16 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should complete the inventory reconciliations for the four remaining Accounts Management site’s to identify and correct inventory inaccuracies and inconsistencies and implement processes to provide oversight by periodically performing reconciliations for each site so that any future inconsistencies and errors are identified and corrected in a timely manner.

17 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop specific and detailed instructions for preparing the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR), including how controlled and uncontrolled inventory should be captured

18 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to systemically pull all controlled inventory for each Accounts Management site for the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR) to ensure consistency, reduce human error, and increase efficiencies

19 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should modify Accounts Management inventory reporting to report unassigned controlled inventory separately on the nationwide Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR) and limit the site-specific AMIRs to only the inventory assigned to be worked in each site.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should evaluate directing taxpayers to send tax account correspondence and replies intended for Accounts Management directly to Campus Support Sites for processing to reduce backlogs at Tax Processing Centers and improve services to taxpayers.

3 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should prioritize the development and implementation of tools that will enable taxpayers seeking assistance or responding to Accounts Management to correspond with the IRS electronically, including the ability to directly upload documents into Accounts Management’s inventory.

4 - Closed

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, in conjunction with the Director, IRS NEXT Office, should evaluate establishing two distinct IRS programs as part of the IRS reorganization under the Taxpayer First Act – one dedicated to answering toll-free telephone calls and one dedicated to working Accounts Management inventory – with adequate staffing to provide appropriate service to taxpayers using each channel.

5 - Closed

On June 9, 2021, we notified the Director, Customer Account Services, that Submission Processing requested resources from Accounts Management to assist with clearing the Image Control Team (ICT) backlog and was told by Campus Support management that no resources could be made available to assist with reducing the ICT backlog. We recommended that the IRS assess the availability of Campus Support’s ICT staffing or other resources that could be made available to assist with clearing the ICT backlogs at Tax Processing Centers.

6 - Closed

On September 3, 2021, we notified the Director, Accounts Management, of concerns relating to the newly stood-up Fresno Campus Support Site, including scanners not being used to the full extent possible. We recommended that IRS management provide us with it plans to address our concerns identified with the new Fresno Campus Support Site, including additional staffing to assist Image Control Team (ICT).

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should complete a strategic review of all 10 Image Control Team (ICT) sites to determine what contributes to the ICT’s inability to timely scan and validate documents. Based on the results of this review, initiate steps to address the concerns identified. This should include the development of an action plan to ensure that the high-capacity ICT scanners and staffing are realigned to the appropriate sites based on actual or expected inventory levels and that responsibility of the ICT operations are consolidated under the appropriate function.

8 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should cross-train additional mail clerks at Campus Support Sites to work Image Control Team (ICT) validations, freeing up additional resources in sites with higher inventories needing to be scanned, or consider shipping inventory to sites with less inventory to be scanned.

9 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop specific instructions and a common template for all 10 Image Control Team (ICT) sites to consistently capture ICT inventory information.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Assessment of Processes to Identify and Address Improper Child and Dependent Care Credit Claims

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/14/2022

1 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should update processes to *****2***** from Form 2441 the care provider’s **2********************2*******************, and the amount paid to the care provider.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should update paper verification processes to generate errors in the Error Resolution System when the ****************2****************, or amounts paid to the care provider are missing

3 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should revise Form 2441 to include checkboxes to note whether dependent care expenses are for a spouse or dependent who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves or if special deemed earned income rules apply.

4 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to identify tax returns with adult **********2********** **************************2*****************************. These tax returns should be considered for selection for post-refund compliance reviews.

5 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should work with the Department of the Treasury, Office of Tax Policy, to obtain the legal authority to disallow the Child and Dependent Care Credit (CDCC) when the primary or secondary taxpayer is identified by an ***2*** Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on Form 2441

6 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to identify tax returns with ***2*** Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) used to identify the care provider. These tax returns should be considered for selection for post-refund compliance review.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should revise Form 2441 instructions and Publication 503, using examples, so taxpayers may better understand the requirements for qualifying care and expenses

8 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to identify tax returns with care provider ****************************************************2******************************. These tax returns should be selected for post-refund compliance review.

9 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should coordinate with the Small Business/Self-Employed Division to develop a compliance plan for post-refund treatment of cases involving **********************2********************************************** ****************************************************2********************************************** ****************************************************2**************************************************2***

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD Did Not Always Comply With Its Internal Guide When Transitioning Offices From Mandatory to Maximum Telework During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) transitioning of offices from mandatory to maximum telework during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, based on a request from Representative Gerald Connolly, to review whether HUD was employing best practices and existing guidance when deciding whether or when to require Federal employees to return to their offices. Transitioning an office to maximum telework allowed HUD employees to voluntarily return to an office.We focused our audit on whether HUD complied with its internal Resuming Normal Operations...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Cybersecurity and Telework During the COVID‑19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

FHA Borrowers Did Not Always Properly Receive COVID-19 Forbearances From Their Loan Servicers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), completed an audit to determine whether FHA-insured borrowers properly received the COVID-19-related forbearance. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided a mortgage payment forbearance option for all borrowers who suffered a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 national emergency.We found that at least one-third of the nearly 335,000 borrowers who were delinquent on their FHA-insured loans and not on forbearance in November...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Public Housing Agencies’ Experiences and Challenges Regarding the Administration of HUD’s CARES Act Funds

We conducted a limited review of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental public housing operating funds (supplemental funds). Our objective was to assess public housing agencies’ (PHA) experiences and challenges and HUD’s efforts in providing guidance related to the administration of the supplemental operating funds under the CARES Act.We found that the PHA survey respondents generally cited positive experiences and no major challenges related to the administration of supplemental funds under the CARES...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Lessons Learned and Key Considerations From Prior Audits and Evaluations of the CDBG Disaster Recovery Program

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act made available $5 billion in supplemental CDBG funding for grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (CDBG-CV grants). Because of similarities, we reviewed 132 CDBG-DR program audits and evaluations issued from May 2002 to March 2020 to summarize the common CDBG-DR program weaknesses and risks for CPD to consider to help its CDBG-CV grantees effectively and efficiently manage their CDBG-CV program operations.We found that grantees had common areas of weaknesses and risks in the...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The Taxpayer Advocate Service Assisted Thousands of Taxpayers With CARES Act Issues but Faced Challenges in Identifying and Tracking Applicable Cases

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/20/2021

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Fraud Risk Inventory for the CDBG and ESG CARES Act Funds

We conducted this engagement in coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to gain an understanding of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fraud risk management practices and develop an inventory of fraud risks that HUD had not already identified for the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.We identified five overall risk factors that contribute to the risk of fraud for the CDBG and ESG CARES Act...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/12/2021

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Steps Were Taken to Protect Employee Health and Safety, but Additional Efforts Are Needed to Ensure Compliance With Federal Guidelines During Pandemics

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

People First Initiative Actions Helped Taxpayers During the Pandemic; However, Many Taxpayers Received Inaccurate Collection Notices

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Inspection of Health and Safety Measures at Select IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Business Tax Return Processing Operations

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/02/2021

1 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should coordinate with the Office of Servicewide Penalties to ensure that the 1,295 taxpayer accounts with potential incorrect ES penalties are reviewed and corrected as necessary.

1 - Closed

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should evaluate the feasibility to direct additional types of payments from Tax Processing Centers to lockbox sites. This evaluation should also assess the feasibility of directing payments received by field office employees to lockbox sites for processing.

2 - Closed

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

COVID-19 Forbearance Data in HUD’s Single Family Default Monitoring System Generally Agreed With Information Maintained by Loan Servicers

We audited lender reporting of COVID-19 forbearances for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loans in the Single Family Default Monitoring System (SFDMS). We compared default reporting data from SFDMS to loan data provided by five sampled servicing lenders that serviced a third of the FHA single-family portfolio. Our audit objective was to determine whether COVID-19 forbearance data available in SFDMS were consistent with the information maintained by loan servicers. We found that COVID-19 forbearance data available in SFDMS were generally consistent with the information maintained by...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Inspection of Health and Safety Measures at Select IRS Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Taxpayers Were Notified About the CARES Act Retirement Plan Provisions; However, Additional Actions Could Be Taken to Identify Potential Noncompliance

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Limited Review of HUD’s Office of Chief Procurement Officer Pandemic-Related Procurement Accommodations and Challenges

We conducted a limited review of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of the Chief Procurement Officer’s (OCPO) administration of five procurement activities under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act and related Office of Management and Budget memorandums gave HUD flexibility in modifying existing contracts and required rapid delivery of CARES Act funds. Our objective was to determine what HUD had done to accommodate contractors’ pandemic-related issues while ensuring that HUD met its business objectives. In addition...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Implementation of Tax Year 2020 Employer Tax Credits Enacted in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Disaster Preparedness of Federal Agencies

HUD OIG will summarize the conclusions/findings and recommendations reported by seven participating OIGs and the General Accountability Office related to natural disaster preparedness. Our objective is to inform Federal agencies and the OIG community of the reported conclusions/findings and recommendations regarding preparing for and responding to natural disasters.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Assessment of Processes to Verify Tentative Carryback Refund Eligibility

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/02/2021

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Implementation of Economic Impact Payments

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/24/2021

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Interim Report - Status of Coronavirus Response Funding

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD’s Use of, Accounting for, and Reporting on CARES Act Funding

As of March 31, 2021, HUD had disbursed $3.4 billion and obligated $7.4 billion of its $12.4 billion in CARES Act funds. Meanwhile, HUD has more than $1.6 billion in CARES Act funds unobligated. These funds have various expiration dates. For example, HUD has until September 30, 2021, to obligate $28 million of the remaining management and administration CARES Act funds and until September 30, 2022, to obligate more than $1.3 billion of the remaining Office of Community Planning and Development’s CARES Act funds. If HUD is unable to obligate funds properly before its appropriations expire, it...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Assessment of the Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Customer Service Operations

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Oversight of the Internal Revenue Service’s Response to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD and its CDBG-DR grantees have experienced challenges related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), has completed a survey of the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees. Our objective was to determine the challenges that HUD and its CDBG-DR grantees are experiencing related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help inform the Office of Community Planning and Development and Congress on the issues faced in responding to the pandemic.HUD’s CDBG-DR grantees across the country reported facing similar...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Interim Report – The IRS Leveraged Its Telework Program to Continue Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Interim report - IRS COVID-19 Response Timeline and Policies to Protect Employee Health and Safety.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Results of the 2020 Filing Season and Effects of COVID-19 on Tax Processing Operations

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Key Considerations From Prior Audits of the Single Family Default Monitoring System and the Partial Claim Loss Mitigation Option

We prepared this memorandum to provide the Office of Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with key considerations from prior audits of the HUD Single Family Default Monitoring System (SFDMS) and the partial claim loss mitigation option. These audits identified HUD’s lack of effective controls to ensure that lenders reported default information accurately and in a timely manner, lenders promptly filed and reported partial claims, and partial claims fully reinstated delinquent loans. Prior audits also identified that the current design of partial claims results...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Interim Report - Taxpayer Advocate Service Actions to Assist Taxpayers in Response to the Implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Systems Processing Economic Impact Payments Performed Well and the Get My Payment Application Security Vulnerabilities Are Being Remediated

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 12/28/2020

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Interim Audit Memorandum – The HUD Single Family Insurance Operations Division Should Take Additional Action To Inform Homeowners of Changes to Its FHA Refund Process Resulting From the COVID-19 Pandemic

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) response to COVID-19 to determine if it appropriately, effectively, and efficiently tracked, monitored, and issued Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refunds owed to homeowners with terminated loans. During our field work, the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began and as a result, we developed a second, more urgent audit objective to determine how COVID-19 has affected policies, procedures, and distribution of FHA refunds and whether HUD’s response was appropriate. We determined that COVID-19 generally did not...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Controls over Coronavirus Response Funding

Evaluate controls implemented by the IRS to ensure the $765.7 million in appropriated funds received for its Coronavirus response is adequately tracked and used for its intended purpose.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Drawdown Levels for the Initial Round of CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grants Were Minimal

We conducted this limited review to identify the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) drawdown levels for the initial round of Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funding. In addition, we researched information published by grantees on how they have used and will use their funds. Our objective was to highlight the grantees’ (1) drawdown levels for the initial round of ESG CARES Act funding and (2) published information on how the funds have and will be used. Our review determined that as of July 1, 2020, the ESG...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Public and Indian Housing Supplemental Operating Funds

HUD OIG is conducting a limited review of HUD's administration of supplemental operating funds under the CARES Act. The CARES Act authorized an additional $685 million in public housing operating funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. The review objective is to assess Public Housing Agencies' (PHA) experiences and challenges and HUD's efforts in providing guidance related to the administration of supplemental operating funds under the CARES Act.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Opportunities Exist To Improve HUD’s Communication to Renters About Eviction Protections

As part of the Office of Inspector General’s effort to provide oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) relief efforts provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), we reviewed HUD’s communication to renters regarding the eviction moratorium found in Section 4024. The objective of our review was to highlight the progress HUD has made and identify areas for improvement. We found that HUD provided critical information to many of these renters through its website and published guidance. However, we identified several aspects of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Some Mortgage Loan Servicers’ Websites Continue to Offer Information about CARES Act Loan Forbearance That Could Mislead or Confuse Borrowers, or Provide Little or no Information at all

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this study to follow up on information we shared previously regarding what information servicers of mortgage loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are providing to borrowers regarding forbearance options available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).We reported on April 27, 2020, that our review of 30 FHA servicers who service approximately 90 percent of FHA loans, revealed that FHA servicer websites provided incomplete, inconsistent...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Opportunities Existed to Improve HUD’s Responses to Inquiries From Borrowers, Industry Partners, and the General Public Regarding Forbearance and Foreclosure Relief Provided by the CARES Act

As part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) effort to provide oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) relief efforts provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), we reviewed HUD’s responses to inquiries regarding forbearance and foreclosure relief. The objective of our review was to evaluate the accuracy of HUD’s responses to inquiries from borrowers, industry partners, and the general public regarding forbearance and foreclosure relief provided by the CARES Act. We found that HUD could improve its customer service to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Telework in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Interim Report)

The objective of the evaluation is to determine whether the IRS effectively used its telework program to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on IRS operations.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on IRS Customer Service Operations

Assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on IRS customer service operations and evaluate the development of the IRS’s comprehensive customer service strategy.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Interim Results of the 2020 Filing Season: Effect of COVID-19 Shutdown on Tax Processing and Customer Service Operations and Assessment of Efforts to Implement Legislative Provisions

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

FHA Default Reporting

The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that we are researching prior audits of HUD’s Single Family Default Monitoring System to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits that HUD should act on now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19 related forbearance assistance and foreclosure moratorium related to single family loans.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

FHA Partial Claims

The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that we are researching prior audits of HUD’s partial claims loss mitigation option to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits that HUD should act on now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19 related partial claims.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Public and Indian Housing and Multifamily Vacancies During a Disaster Declaration

HUD OIG is researching Public and Indian Housing and Multifamily use of vacant units during previously Presidentially Declared Disasters and the COVID-19 declared Disaster, as well as PIH and Multifamily’s ability to place a waitlist preference for the homeless and how many homeless individuals had a 50058 or 50059 new move-in during the COVID pandemic. Since the introduction of the CARES act, there has been an emphasis to review how HUD has reacted to the COVID-19 disaster. HUD allocated $1 billion to keep America's homeless population safe. The purpose of this research is to issue memorandums for both PIH and Multifamily addressing the research topics.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Key Considerations and Lessons Learned From Prior Audits of FHA Partial Claims

HUD OIG is researching prior audits of HUD’s partial claims loss mitigation option. On July 8, 2020, FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-22 informing mortgagees the full suite of loss mitigations available to single family borrowers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research is to provide HUD information regarding lessons learned and risks identified in these prior audits that HUD should act on now to ensure program integrity and mitigate the risk of financial loss for COVID-19 related partial claims.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

COVID-19 Risk Awareness and Lessons Learned from Audits and Evaluations of the CDBG-DR Program

HUD OIG is performing research to help HUD's Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus pandemic (CDBG-CV) grantees be aware of known risks and lessons learned from audits and evaluations of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program grants (CDBG-DR). The purpose of our research is to issue a report that is intended to assist HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) by developing lessons learned from past reviews and common risk areas to help its CDBG-CV grantees prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Telework Impact on HUD’s Operations Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

This memorandum report summarizes survey and interview results on the impact mandatory telework is having on U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) operations. The HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted surveys and interviews to evaluate HUD’s use of agency-wide telework in response to the novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study was designed to provide insights into the types of obstacles that impeded HUD operations and how HUD responded to identified limitations. HUD demonstrated a capacity to sustain mission essential operations during a period of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Some Mortgage Loan Servicers’ Websites Offer Information about CARES Act Loan Forbearance That Is Incomplete, Inconsistent, Dated, and Unclear

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this study to assess what information servicers of mortgage loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are providing to borrowers regarding forbearance options available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Some Mortgage Loan Servicers’ Websites Offer Information about CARES Act Loan Forbearance That Is Incomplete, Inconsistent, Dated, and Unclear

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General assessed what information servicers of mortgage loans that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures were providing on their public facing websites to borrowers regarding forbearance. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to provide economic relief to individuals and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 17, 2020, 22 days after enactment of the Act, we reviewed the top 30 servicers’ websites to identify readily...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Assessment of Actions Taken to Ensure Validity of Employer COVID-19 Relief Credits certain business entities.

(Audit number: 202040633) Objective: Assess the IRS’s processes and procedures to ensure the validity of COVID-19 relief credit claims.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

2020 Filing Season Individual Tax Return Processing

The overall objective was to evaluate whether the IRS timely and accurately processed individual paper and electronically filed tax returns during the 2020 Filing Season.

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Disaster Preparedness of Federal Agencies

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Controls over Coronavirus Response Funding

Public and Indian Housing Supplemental Operating Funds

Telework in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Interim Report)

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on IRS Customer Service Operations

FHA Default Reporting

FHA Partial Claims

Public and Indian Housing and Multifamily Vacancies During a Disaster Declaration

Key Considerations and Lessons Learned From Prior Audits of FHA Partial Claims

COVID-19 Risk Awareness and Lessons Learned from Audits and Evaluations of the CDBG-DR Program

Assessment of Actions Taken to Ensure Validity of Employer COVID-19 Relief Credits certain business entities.

2020 Filing Season Individual Tax Return Processing

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