Priority Open Recommendations: Department of the Treasury

What GAO Found

In June 2024, GAO identified 34 priority recommendations for the Department of the Treasury. Since then, Treasury implemented four of those recommendations. Treasury's actions were part of continuing efforts to improve its controls for General Fund reporting and preparing the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government. In addition, GAO removed two recommendations related to pandemic emergency rental assistance, because they no longer warrant priority attention.

In July 2025, GAO identified four additional priority recommendations for Treasury, bringing the total number to 32. These recommendations involve the following areas:

• reducing fraud and improper payments,
• ensuring cybersecurity and information privacy,
• improving federal financial management,
• mitigating foreign investment risks,
• improving program oversight, and
• protecting workers' retirement savings.

Treasury's continued attention to these issues could lead to significant improvements in government operations.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Michelle Sager at sagerm@gao.gov.