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.
United States and Singapore Buddy Up on Tax Evasion
For those who are still not convinced that the United States is serious about tracking down tax dodgers who are trying to hide money in offshore accounts, here’s one more piece of evidence that might change your mind. In a deal announced last week, the country of Singapore says it has come to terms with…
IRS Overpaid by $6 Billion in Child Tax Credits in 2013
Although no one will probably ever shed a tear to hear that the IRS paid taxpayers too much money, this latest report does nothing to breed confidence in how things are run in the nation’s tax collecting agency. According to reports, the IRS paid about $6 billion in child tax credits last year to people…
Small Business Stock Gain Exclusion Receives 2014 Extension
It’s not like the government to bring everyone some well-needed Christmas cheer, but the new tax bill that lawmakers were finally able to pass brought some good news for many investors before the year ends. It’s unfortunate that it took the entire year to get it done, but at least the tax provisions that did…
Like it or Not, Now Is the Time to Think About Taxes
There are still several days before we officially celebrate Christmas, which means people still have plenty to do, including finding those important last-minute gifts. However, if you are done with your shopping, maybe you can put Christmas aside for a moment and focus on taxes. Taxes are probably the last thing you want to think…