IRS Credit Cards Used to Purchase Kazoos, Stuffed Animals, and Nerf footballs

A report released today by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) documented improper items purchased by IRS employees using taxpayer-funded credit cards.  Items include:

• “Plush animals, sunglasses and stove top hats” used for give-away prizes
   
• “Kazoos, bathtub toy boats, and Thomas the Tank Engine rubber wristbands for managers’ meetings”
   
• “Nerf footballs purchased for team-building exercise but never used” which are “currently stored in a filing cabinet”
   
• “Jigsaw puzzle and the world’s largest crossword puzzle purchased for team building.”

IRS employees also used their purchase cards for extravagant outings including:

• Dinner at a price of “$140 per person, four times the Federal Government per diem rate”
   
• Lunch at the cost of “$100 per person, five times the Federal Government per diem rate”
   
• “28 bottles of wine for 41 guests"