Federal agencies made an estimated $186 billion in improper payments in the 2025 fiscal year, according to a new government report. The billions of dollars cited excluded several programs that are susceptible to significant levels of improper payments, so the actual amount of wasted taxpayer money is likely much higher. Most improper payments — approximately 82% — resulted from overpayments, according to the report by the Government Accountability Office. Payments that should not have been made