First Half of Current Fiscal Year a Record-Breaker for U.S. Treasury
It’s been another record year for the federal government so far, which is in the midst of its current fiscal year. At the end of March, when the government reached its halfway point of the 2016 fiscal year, it had already collected $1.48 trillion. One might think that this massive haul would help ease the nation’s federal deficit. However, despite the record intake, the federal government still finds itself in the hole to the tune of $461 billion.
According to the U.S. treasury Department, the amount of taxes it has collected from October 2015 through March of this year has been greater than any other previous fiscal year on record. That even takes adjustment for inflation into consideration.
The Treasury Department counts revenues from several sources, including individual income taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, social insurance and retirement taxes, estate and gift taxes, corporate income taxes, excise taxes and a few other items. Of the $1.48 trillion collected so far this fiscal year, the majority comes from individual income taxes, which accounts for nearly half of the total, at $675 billion.
By way of comparison, last year, the federal government collected a total of $3.24 trillion in taxes for the entire 2015 fiscal year.
Why Are the Ultra-Wealthy So Good at Avoiding Taxes?
While many in the media, as well many lawmakers on the left, would have you believe that the nation’s wealthiest individuals are really good at skipping out on their taxes and that they don’t pay their fair share, the fact is, in most cases, that’s not true. Yes, it is true that many of he…
Why Aren’t People Spending Their Tax Refunds?
Economists, politicians and people in general like to discuss the nation’s economy and where it stands at any given moment. There are many different points that are touched on and several aspects that are used as evidence to make important points. However, one indicator of the economy’s health that can never really be argued is…
Tax Exemption Legislation Could Be Good News for Political Donors
The Republican lead Congress recently passed some new legislation – without garnering much attention at all – that could be a big boon for major donors of political organizations and groups. The bill could protect big donors from having to pay gift taxes on their large donations to these political groups. The bill, which is…
To Extend or Not to Extend, That Is the Question?
Have you looked at your calendar yet today? Have you noticed that April 15 has already come and gone? Of course, it’s pretty hard to miss tax day, but some people actually do. So should you file an extension now if you didn’t make it on time? Some people believe filing an extension is a…