The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has revealed a major issue in federal spending oversight, identifying $4.7 trillion in payments that lacked required tracking codes. The missing Treasury Account Symbol (TAS) codes left a significant portion of last year’s budget untraceable, raising concerns about accountability in government transactions.
DOGE, established under President Donald Trump to cut unnecessary spending, has now mandated the use of TAS codes on all federal payments. The agency noted on X that this simple change would enhance transparency and provide much-needed oversight into how taxpayer money is allocated. The Treasury Department has agreed to enforce the new rule going forward.
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…
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 17, 2025
Elon Musk, who has been involved in DOGE’s initiatives, praised the action, calling it a necessary step in cleaning up government waste. Musk’s team has also drawn attention to inaccuracies in Social Security records, pointing out that millions of beneficiaries are listed as being well over 100 years old. DOGE is now reviewing these cases to determine if fraudulent payments have been issued.
$4.7 TRILLION in untraceable payments!!!!!
That’s 4.7 trillion reasons that make it hard to believe this was a mistake or incompetence even. https://t.co/IvJDETdAzZ
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 18, 2025
Beyond the missing transactions, DOGE has been investigating potential cost-saving measures. One proposal is the elimination of paper checks from federal agencies, a move that could save the government approximately $750 million per year. Treasury data shows that 116 million paper checks were issued in 2024, with a maintenance cost of $2.40 per check.
Joe Scarborough wrongly says that when it comes to the $36 trillion national debt, “85% of that does not come from anything that DOGE is touching.”
DOGE just found the Treasury Department made $4.7 trillion payments that are UNTRACEABLE because they were missing a critical code. pic.twitter.com/KEbN1B0X0s
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 18, 2025
Meanwhile, DOGE’s request to access the IRS’s Integrated Data Retrieval System has raised alarms among privacy advocates. The database contains detailed taxpayer information, and critics argue that granting DOGE access could lead to serious security risks. IRS officials have expressed concerns over how the data could be used, while DOGE insists the access is necessary to uncover fraudulent activity.
DOGE has found $4.7 trillion in virtually untraceable treasury payments. Most people can't fathom a billion; 4.7 trillion is absurd. pic.twitter.com/WP57Lt7QcR
— Papa Hemingway (@PopHemingway) February 19, 2025
Despite ongoing legal battles over access to federal financial systems, DOGE reports that it has already saved taxpayers around $55 billion. The agency continues to push forward with plans to identify inefficiencies and reduce government waste.
DOGE finds the treasury released $4.7 trillion in untraceable payments, coinciding exactly with Biden's proposed 2024 tax increase amount.
Not implying a connection, just noting an interesting alignment. pic.twitter.com/YmMjDBLb1W
— Stella (@clairdestella) February 18, 2025
$2.7 TRILLION in Medicare $ went overseas?
$4.7 TRILLION untraceable from the US Treasury?
$20 BILLION in gold bars was hidden by the Biden administration?
When are the criminal traitors responsible going to prison?
Asking for 335 million friends.
— American Warrior for Christ (@johnrackham82) February 19, 2025
$4.7 trillion untraceable—yet they want to audit every $600 transaction we make. The real criminals are the ones running the system. pic.twitter.com/CosMyqLxPI
— cf (@cf__200) February 18, 2025
