The Treasury Financial Manual (TFM) is the Department of the Treasury’s (Treasury) official publication of policies, procedures, and instructions concerning financial management in the federal government. It is intended to promote the government’s financial integrity and operational efficiency.
In accordance with 31 United States Code (U.S.C.) 331 and 3513, the Secretary of the Treasury has reporting responsibility. Other statutes and Executive Orders specifically place regulatory responsibility with Treasury for other subject matter presented in the TFM. Specific legal authorities are provided in the Authority section of each TFM chapter. When applicable changes occur in procedures, policies, or legislation, subject matter experts act at the Department of Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal Service) take the appropriate action to incorporate them into the TFM.
The TFM is comprised of four volumes. Each volume covers different subject matter and is directed to specific audiences. The volumes are:
- Volume I — Instructs and guides the federal government’s departments, agencies, and other concerned parties, in areas of central accounting and reporting; receivable and delinquent debt management; disbursing; payment-related activities within the authority granted to the U.S. Chief Disbursing Officer (CDO); deposit regulations; deposits to Treasury's General Account; and other fiscal matters.
- Volume II — Instructs and guides Federal Reserve Banks (FRBs) and their branches in areas of deposits and charges to Treasury’s General Account; reporting requirements for Treasury’s General Account; accounting and reporting for gold certificates; issuing Treasury checks by FRBs; and other fiscal agency matters.
- Volume III — Instructs and guides financial institutions designated by Treasury to act as depositaries and financial agents of the government in the areas of domestic depositaries and financial agents; depositaries and financial agents in foreign countries, U.S. Territories, or insular possessions (overseas depositaries); and other fiscal matters.
- Volume IV — Provides procedural instructions to other concerned parties aside from federal departments and agencies, Federal Reserve Banks acting as depositaries and fiscal agents of the United States, and financial institutions acting as depositaries and financial agents of the government, consistent with authority in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), or other authority.
The TFM is comprised of the following types of releases:
- Chapters,
- Bulletins,
- Announcements, and
- Supplements.
TFM Chapters:
- Cover a specific subject,
- Include a summary paragraph explaining the purpose of the chapter,
- Provide procedures and information regarding processes, systems, and/or applicable laws, and
- Provide contact information for the offices and programs responsible for that subject.
TFM Bulletins:
- Are numbered sequentially by the fiscal year of issue (for example, TFM Volume I, Bulletin No. 2023-01, refers to the first bulletin released in Fiscal Year 2023),
- May have expiration dates that prescribe the bulletin’s anticipated expiration period,
- Provide notice of immediately effective changes to instructions or requirements that are intended to be incorporated later into a TFM chapter, and
- May list superseded or rescinded material.
TFM Announcements:
- Are identified with an “A” and are numbered sequentially by the fiscal year of issue (for example, A-2023-01 refers to the first announcement released in Fiscal Year 2023),
- Contain information of a one-time, temporary nature, such as conference and training schedules, special events, or opening and closing dates for reporting requirements,
- Generally are not incorporated into a TFM chapter, and
- Include the contact information for the responsible area.
TFM Supplements:
TFM supplements are extensions to the content within the TFM. They provide more detailed instruction and guidelines for the following financial management topics:
United States Standard General Ledger (USSGL)
Certifying Officer Training
Federal Account Symbols and Titles (FAST Book)
Managing Federal Receivables
Gold Book
Green Book
Treasury Report on Receivables Due From the Public
Agency Self Certification Guide V13
Collections Cycle Memo
Users may subscribe to the email notification service for TFM updates. The email notifies users of a TFM update and provides a link to the updated TFM release.
Email: tfm@fiscal.treasury.gov