According to Odaily, the U.S. Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) announced on X that the U.S. Treasury processed 116 million paper checks in the 2024 fiscal year. In the 2023 fiscal year, $25 billion in tax refunds were delayed or lost due to returned or expired checks. The Treasury maintains a physical lockbox network to collect tax checks from the IRS and passport checks from the State Department, with a maintenance cost of approximately $2.40 per check. Eliminating paper checks could save at least $750 million annually.