Financial Audit

This report transmits the results of GAO's audit of the U. S. government's fiscal years 2015 and 2014 consolidated financial statements. GAO's audit report is incorporated in the enclosed Fiscal Year 2015 Financial Report of the United States Government prepared by the U. S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The federal government reported a unified budget deficit of approximately $439 billion for fiscal year 2015, a decrease of about $45 billion from fiscal year 2014. However, the federal government continues to face an unsustainable long term fiscal path. To operate as effectively and efficiently as possible and to make difficult decisions to address the federal government's fiscal challenges, Congress, the administration, and federal managers must have ready access to reliable and complete financial and performance information-both for individual federal entities and for the federal government as a whole. Our report on the U. S. government's consolidated financial statements underscores that much work remains to improve federal financial management, and these improvements are urgently needed.