REPORT DIGEST

 

DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2008

 

 

 

Release Date:

April 30, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

 

 

 

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

 

This Report Digest and Full Report are also available on

the worldwide web at

www.auditor.illinois.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This report covers our financial audit of the Department of Employment Security’s Non-Shared Funds for the years ended June 30, 2008.  A State compliance examination covering the two years ended June 30, 2009 will be performed next year. 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

¨      The Department overstated its allowance for uncollectible taxes receivable by $24,200,000. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                {Expenditures and Activity Measures are summarized on the next page.}

 

 

 

 

 

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY

FINANCIAL AUDIT

For the Year Ended June 30, 2008

 

STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENSES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund (in thousands)

 

 2008

 

 2007

OPERATING REVENUES:

      Unemployment taxes...........................................

      Federal government.............................................

Total Operating Revenues..............................

 

OPERATING EXPENSES:

      Benefit Payments and Refunds............................

Operating Income..........................................

 

NONOPERATING REVENUES (EXPENSES):

      Interest and investment income............................

            Total nonoperating revenues (expenses)..........

 

Income (loss) before transfers......................   

 

TRANSFERS IN (OUT).........................................

            Increase (Decrease) in net assets...................

 

NET ASSETS, July 1,.............................................

Prior period adjustment..............................................

NET ASSETS, June 30,..........................................

 

$1,971,147

     26,992

1,998,139

 

 

1,991,147

                       6,992

 

 

     88,650

     88,650

 

   95,642

 

     (13,866)

          81,776

                  

      2,277,774

         31,638

    $2,391,158

 

$2,334,077

     25,730

2,359,807

 

 

1,795,169

                       564,638

 

 

     64,279

     64,279

 

 628,917

 

     (22,205)

        606,712

 

      1,671,032

                  

    $2,277,744

STATEMENT OF NET ASSETS (at June 30)

Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund (in thousands)

 

2008

 

2007

ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents...................................

Deposits held by the federal government...............

Receivables, Net:

Taxes...........................................................

Intergovernmental.........................................

Others..........................................................

      Other assets........................................................

              Total Assets................................................

LIABILITIES:

Benefit payments payable....................................

Intergovernmental payables..................................

Due to other state funds.......................................

Total Liabilities

NET ASSETS...........................................................

 

$449

1,906,219

 

432,901

30,886

123,446

      4,818

$2,498,719

 

$96,813

6,423

      4,325

  107,561

$2,391,158

 

  $2,778

1,765,139 

 

476,759

28,974

90,872

      4,065

$2,368,587

 

$81,946

4,717

      4,180

    90,843

$2,277,744

AGENCY DIRECTOR

During Audit Period:  Mr. James P. Sledge (to 8/25/08)

Currently:  Ms. Maureen T. O’Donnell (from 8/25/08)

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Allowance for uncollectible taxes was overstated by $24.2 million

 

 

 


Methodology utilized did not correlate to historical collections

 

 

 

 

 


Prior period adjustment

 

 

 


Current year adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINDING, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

INACCURATE BALANCE OF ALLOWANCE FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS

 

The Department of Employment Security (Department) overstated its allowance for uncollectible taxes receivable by $24,200,000. 

 

As of June 30, 2008 the Department had taxes receivable of $495,478,000 and penalties and interest (P&I) receivable of $44,067,000.  In our audit of the Department’s allowance for taxes and P&I receivable we noted that the methodology utilized to calculate its allowance for uncollectible receivables did not correlate with its known history of collecting these types of receivables.  Rather, it was based on the unrelated percentage of the year-end balance over the total of prior year’s balance and current year’s additions to receivables. 

 

Based on a recalculation considering the historical collection percentage of new and delinquent receivables, it was determined that the allowance for taxes receivable should be $106,644,000.  This resulted in a prior period overstatement of the allowance for taxes receivable recorded of $31,638,000 and a current period understatement of $7,459,000.  The financial statements and disclosures have been corrected.  (Finding 1, pages 36-37)

 

We recommended the Department evaluate its process and improve its controls over calculating the allowance for uncollectible accounts.

 

Department officials accepted our recommendation and indicated that it had updated its spreadsheet with the new calculation of the estimated allowance for uncollectible unemployment insurance taxes using agency historical data and forecasts of changes in the annual unemployment rate for the U.S. economy.

 

 

OTHER FINDING

 

        The other finding concerned inadequate controls over computer security.  We will review progress toward implementation of all recommendations during the next audit. 

 

 
AUDITORS’ OPINIONS

 

Our auditors stated the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Non-Shared Funds of the Department of Employment Security as of June 30, 2008, and the changes in financial position and cash flows, where applicable, thereof for the year then ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

 

WGH:JAF:pp

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

Our special assistant auditors for this audit were E.C. Ortiz & Co. LLP.