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Title: US Posts Biggest Budget Surplus In History Post by: Hydrogen on May 10, 2018, 11:34:37 PM Quote Exactly one month ago, when the Treasury reported its latest monthly budget deficit, we noted that Federal spending surged in March, rising 7% from $392.8BN from a year prior to $420BN, the second highest monthly government outlay on record, and with tax receipts disappointing, it meant that the March budget deficit of $208.7 billion was 18% higher than $176.2BN deficit recorded last March, and was the biggest March budget deficit in US history. Fast forward to today when anyone who took this one month and extrapolated it as an indication of US economic health got the shock of a lifetime, when the US posted its largest monthly budget surplus on record in April, and the highest Federal Government Receipts ever - at just over half a trillion dollars - which the Congressional Budget Office said reflected stronger economic activity over the past year. In many ways, April was a mirror image of March: unlike March, Federal receipts in April soared to $510 billion, 12% or $54.8BN more than April 2017, and the highest Federal receipts not just for an April but any month in history (although of that surge, approximately $20BN was due to one additional day of collections in April 2018). https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/govt%20receipts%20april.jpg For those wondering if the culprit was tax repatriation, the answer is no: net corporate income taxes totaled $42.2BN in April and $120.8BN so far in fiscal 2018, 7 months into the year. The latter is down $39.2BN (24.5%) from the corporate taxes collected at this time last year; overall gross receipts were down 14% to $159.1BN while refunds up 53% to $38.3BN. as corporations become an increasingly less relevant source of government funding. Meanwhile, on the spending side, outlays increased by a more modest 8.4% to $296 billion, the latest monthly budget statement reported. https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/govt%20outlays%20april%202018.jpg Combined, this meant that the monthly surplus was $214.3 billion, the highest since records started in 1968. While the number was modestly below the CBO's May 7 estimate of $218 billion, the number was well above the Wall Street consensus of $194BN, and well higher than the $182BN surplus in April of 2017. https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/april%202018%20budget%20surplus%20record.jpg While the federal government traditionally posts its biggest budget surplus in April when taxpayers file and pay their tax returns, this years was a blockbuster in every possible way: in a May 7 preview of the report, the CBO said that a stronger economic expansion and income growth added to federal revenue in April (there was no mention of taxes collected on cryptocurrency gains). Overall, the budget deficit for the first seven months of the fiscal year widened to $385 billion, from $344 billion a year earlier, according to Treasury, although it was sharply lower than the $600 billion cumulative YTD deficit reported last month. That said, don't expect the good times to continue indefinitely: Trump's tax cuts and spending increases are expected to push the budget deficit to $804 billion in the current fiscal year, from $665 billion in fiscal 2017, and surpass the $1 trillion-mark by 2020, according to the CBO. Others, such as Goldman, are confident that the US debt funding needs will surpass $1 trillion as soon as this year. The Trump administration has countered that tax cuts will pay for themselves through faster economic growth, and if April is any indication, it may be right. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-10/us-posts-biggest-budget-surplus-history Good news for april 2018. Not much said on crypto tax collection in the USA as of yet. May 2018's numbers could be crucial in determining whether the united states is headed towards economic prosperity or economic calamity. I haven't seen anyone offer a solid prediction on which represents our future. Even zerohedge which normally enjoys offering predictions on literally everything appears to lack the confidence to speculate on the outcome. We know the USA has lowered enrollment in food stamp and welfare programs by more than 2 million. We know cuts are being made for many programs ranging from the EPA to afghan white helmets. And we know the job market looks good. If those were the only variables it would be easy to make a positive prediction. However, there is a powerful tendency in government to increase budgets and spending. We see many expensive and unnecessary defense projects marketed to the public. Increases in spending threaten to offset any gains made, as well as increases in areas like infrastructure maintenance spending which have been neglected over the last 10+ years. Anyways we'll have a clearer picture once mays numbers become available. Title: Re: US Posts Biggest Budget Surplus In History Post by: pugman on May 10, 2018, 11:44:12 PM And we know the job market looks good. I am sorry but I just can't agree with this. There is recession all across the world. Companies that are looking to hire, are expecting way too much, even from beginners. Their salary is horrible. There is so much unemployment that one can only imagine. I am starting to wonder, what the US government has to plan with this new Surplus. Will they ever help people who are in need? Trump has shut down Obamacare so can't expect anything at all. Title: Re: US Posts Biggest Budget Surplus In History Post by: odolvlobo on May 10, 2018, 11:49:26 PM This is just a temporary thing. Despite record revenues this quarter, the U.S. government is going to show record deficits overall and we continue seeing new absurd levels of debt in the future.
The U.S. government is betting everything on economic prosperity and low interest rates, but no rational person can believe that those conditions can last forever. |
