Federal Government Launches “Self-Audit Week” to Encourage Voluntary Mistake Reporting
April 9, 2025 Washington D.C.
In what some are calling the most ambitious attempt at “outsourced enforcement” to date, the U.S. Treasury Department has announced the official launch of National Self-Audit Week, a voluntary federal program encouraging taxpayers to audit themselves before the IRS does.
Set to run annually during the first week of May, the initiative invites individuals and small businesses to “review, reflect, and report” any tax errors they may have made — with the promise of reduced penalties and, in some cases, commemorative stickers.
“We want to build a culture of honesty,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Carl Winston during Monday’s press conference. “If people are going to panic about audits anyway, we figured we’d give them a chance to preemptively panic — but on their own terms.”
What Is Self-Audit Week?
Under the new program, taxpayers who voluntarily report “reasonable mistakes” — including forgotten 1099s, exaggerated mileage claims, and “the classic mix-up of a business dinner and an Olive Garden coupon night” — may qualify for:
• A 50% penalty reduction
• Entry into a raffle for expedited refund processing
• A printable PDF certificate titled “I Audited Myself and All I Got Was This Reduced Fine”
Participation is not mandatory, but IRS officials confirmed that those who don’t self-audit “may be gently reminded of their missed opportunity in future correspondence.”
Taxpayers can submit self-audit reports through a new portal called Oops.gov, which went live this morning and immediately crashed under light traffic.
Experts Divided
Supporters argue that Self-Audit Week empowers citizens to “own their tax narrative” while saving the IRS time and resources.
“This is like the TSA asking passengers to frisk themselves before boarding,” said public policy professor Janice Croft. “It’s wildly optimistic, but oddly charming.”
Critics, however, say the program is a thinly veiled cost-cutting measure.
“They’re basically outsourcing guilt,” said Boston-based accountant Elijah Moore. “What’s next — Self-Indictment Fridays?”
Others question the potential for misuse. Already, a Facebook group called “Patriot Auditors Anonymous” is advising members on how to report fictional errors to gain leniency on real ones. A post reads, “Admit to a fake overclaim on dog grooming. Distract them from your actual crypto flips.”
Possible Expansion?
According to internal memos leaked to the press, the Department of Education is exploring a similar concept for student loans called “Voluntary Repayment Honesty Month”, while the Department of Transportation is reportedly considering “DIY Vehicle Inspection Tuesdays.”
As for Self-Audit Week, the Treasury says it’s watching closely to see if the public embraces this “new era of introspective compliance.”
“We’ve always said Americans are ruggedly individualistic,” said Deputy Secretary Winston. “We just never imagined they might individually audit themselves — for fun.”
Participation opens May 1, assuming the website works by then.
Set to run annually during the first week of May, the initiative invites individuals and small businesses to “review, reflect, and report” any tax errors they may have made — with the promise of reduced penalties and, in some cases, commemorative stickers.
“We want to build a culture of honesty,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Carl Winston during Monday’s press conference. “If people are going to panic about audits anyway, we figured we’d give them a chance to preemptively panic — but on their own terms.”
What Is Self-Audit Week?
Under the new program, taxpayers who voluntarily report “reasonable mistakes” — including forgotten 1099s, exaggerated mileage claims, and “the classic mix-up of a business dinner and an Olive Garden coupon night” — may qualify for:
• A 50% penalty reduction
• Entry into a raffle for expedited refund processing
• A printable PDF certificate titled “I Audited Myself and All I Got Was This Reduced Fine”
Participation is not mandatory, but IRS officials confirmed that those who don’t self-audit “may be gently reminded of their missed opportunity in future correspondence.”
Taxpayers can submit self-audit reports through a new portal called Oops.gov, which went live this morning and immediately crashed under light traffic.
Experts Divided
Supporters argue that Self-Audit Week empowers citizens to “own their tax narrative” while saving the IRS time and resources.
“This is like the TSA asking passengers to frisk themselves before boarding,” said public policy professor Janice Croft. “It’s wildly optimistic, but oddly charming.”
Critics, however, say the program is a thinly veiled cost-cutting measure.
“They’re basically outsourcing guilt,” said Boston-based accountant Elijah Moore. “What’s next — Self-Indictment Fridays?”
Others question the potential for misuse. Already, a Facebook group called “Patriot Auditors Anonymous” is advising members on how to report fictional errors to gain leniency on real ones. A post reads, “Admit to a fake overclaim on dog grooming. Distract them from your actual crypto flips.”
Possible Expansion?
According to internal memos leaked to the press, the Department of Education is exploring a similar concept for student loans called “Voluntary Repayment Honesty Month”, while the Department of Transportation is reportedly considering “DIY Vehicle Inspection Tuesdays.”
As for Self-Audit Week, the Treasury says it’s watching closely to see if the public embraces this “new era of introspective compliance.”
“We’ve always said Americans are ruggedly individualistic,” said Deputy Secretary Winston. “We just never imagined they might individually audit themselves — for fun.”
Participation opens May 1, assuming the website works by then.