Duties & Functions

Mission

The mission of the Department of the Treasury is to promote the conditions for prosperity and stability in the United States and encourage prosperity and stability in the rest of the world.

This mission statement highlights Treasury’s role as the steward of U.S. economic and financial systems, and as an influential participant in the international economy. Treasury’s commitment to our citizens is to create economic and employment opportunities for all by raising the rate of sustainable growth. To the extent this objective is linked to world economy, Treasury will seek to influence global financial and economic issues whenever possible to promote global economic growth and stability.

The Department of the Treasury is the primary federal agency responsible for the economic and financial prosperity and security of the United States, and as such is responsible for a wide range of activities including advising the President on economic and financial issues, promoting the President’s growth agenda, and enhancing corporate governance in financial institutions.

In the international arena, the Department of the Treasury works with other federal agencies, the governments of other nations, and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to encourage economic growth, raise standards of living, and predict and prevent, to the extent possible, economic and financial crises.

Organization

The Department of the Treasury is organized into two major components the Departmental offices and the operating bureaus. The Departmental Offices are primarily responsible for the formulation of policy and management of the Department as a whole, while the operating bureaus carry out the specific operations assigned to the Department. Our bureaus make up 98% of the Treasury work force. The basic functions of the Department of the Treasury include:

• Managing Federal finances;
• Collecting taxes, duties and monies paid to and due to the U.S. and paying all bills of the U.S.;
• Producing postage stamps, currency and coinage;
• Managing Government accounts and the public debt;
• Supervising national banks and thrift institutions;
• Advising on domestic and international financial, monetary, economic, trade and tax policy;
• Enforcing Federal finance and tax laws;
• Investigating and prosecuting tax evaders, counterfeiters, and forgers.

We have listed below the major duties and functions of each Treasury Department office and bureau, along with the types of occupations that accompany each one, where appropriate. To obtain specific employment material from any of these offices and bureaus, you should contact the appropriate Personnel Officers. The links below will help you navigate to the information available for each specific office or bureau.

You can read more about the mission and goals of Treasury's offices and bureaus by viewing our Strategic Plan, or go directly to our Bureaus for more information.