Financial Management: Defense's System for Army Military Payroll Is Unreliable - GAO Report
| Date: | Sept. 30, 1993 |
| Report No.: | AIMD-93-32 |
| Pages: | 32 |
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Subjects:
Summary: Army personnel Erroneous payments Financial management systems Information systems Management information systems Military appropriations Military pay Payroll records Payroll systems Personnel records Medicare DBOF Defense Business Operations Fund Desert Storm DOD Chief Financial Officer Financial Management 5-Year Plan Joint Services Software Military Payroll System Joint Uniform Military Pay System Social Security Program Because of lapses in internal controls over its payroll system, the military overpaid thousands of Army personnel. These payments totaled more than $6 million in September 1992 alone. In addition, the Defense Finance and Accounting System (1) did not report and remit about $66 million due to the Internal Revenue Service for soldiers' income and social security and Medicare taxes and (2) erroneously charged and did not fully reimburse the active Army's Military Personnel appropriation for costs chargeable to the Army's appropriations for Reserve and National Guard personnel. These errors occurred because Army payroll systems did not accurately summarize payroll tax information and did not contain the proper codes to correctly identify appropriation charges. These payroll problems were exacerbated because the Army did not correct existing system and data deficiencies, test payroll data, or provide adequate payroll system training. To correct these shortcomings, the Army recently established a task force. GAO recommends several measures to ensure that payments to soldiers are accurately made, recorded, and reported. |
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