Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
October 3, 2023

The IRS Is Wasting Millions on Unused Blackberrys and Aircards Because Of Course It Is

Out of the $11.4 million that the IRS spent on BlackBerrys and Internet aircards in fiscal year 2011, $1.1 million worth of the devices went unused for three months to a year, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. That means that nearly 14,000 aircards and more than 750 BlackBerrys weren’t activated for a chunk of the year. Sixty-eight BlackBerrys weren’t used at all, while still incurring the costs of a monthly cellphone plan. Further, the report found that there was a lack of oversight in how the devices are assigned – with about $950,000 worth being activated through the IRS without the required management approval. Continued misuse would cost taxpayers a total of more than $10.7 million over five years. [The Hill, TIGTA

Latest Accounting Jobs--Apply Now:

Have something to add to this story? Give us a shout by email, Twitter, or text/call the tipline at 202-505-8885. As always, all tips are anonymous.

Related articles

Feet walking in revolving door.

TIGTA Does Some Digging on the Revolving Door Between the IRS and Large Accounting Firms

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released a report Tuesday [PDF] they initiated in response to a Congressional request from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) to evaluate employees moving between large accounting firms and the IRS, a.k.a the “revolving door”. The Congressional request specifically noted interest in large accounting firms. […]

illustration of an empty desk

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Celebrates Defunding the Agents the IRS Wasn’t Gonna Be Able to Hire Anyway

Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act allotted a whole bucket of cash to the IRS ($80 billion) to modernize its ancient systems and bring on new employees, a lot of employees. At the time, we wondered where the IRS was going to find tens of thousands of people with a bachelor’s degree and 30 units of accounting […]