What Do Your Taxes Pay For?

By -
Taxes are one of the biggest budget items for most taxpayers, yet many have no idea what they’re getting for their money.
In 2017, as in recent years, Americans spent more on taxes than on groceries, clothing, and shelter combined. In fact, we worked until late April just to earn enough money to pay our taxes. So what do all those weeks of work get us?1
Fast Fact: In the Hole. In fiscal 2018, the federal government will spend $804 billion more than it collects in revenue. The government borrows the funds it needs to cover this shortfall by selling Treasury securities and savings bonds.
Source: Congressional Budget Office, 2018
The accompanying chart breaks down the $3.95 trillion in federal spending for 2017 into major categories. By far, the biggest category is Social Security, which consumes one-fourth of the budget. Income security, which includes food assistance and unemployment compensation, takes another 13%. Defense and related items take 15% of the budget, and 28% goes to Medicare and health programs.2
Are taxes one of your biggest budget items? Take steps to make sure you’re managing your overall tax bill. Please consult a tax professional for specific information regarding your individual situation.

Pieces of the Federal Pie

More than 60% of 2017 federal spending was used for Social Security, Medicare, defense, and related programs.
Pieces of the Federal Pie
Source: Pew Research Center, 2018
  1. Tax Foundation, 2018
  2. Pew Research Center, 2018

Popular posts from this blog

9 Facts About Retirement

By -
Image
Tip:  Nearly 70% of workers expect to work for pay in retirement, but only 26% of retirees actually have done so. Source: 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey, EBRI Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family members. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend to take, here are nine things about retirement that might surprise you. Many consider the standard retirement age to be 65. One of the key influencers in arriving at that age was Germany, which initially set its retirement age at 70 then lowered it to age 65.¹ Every day between now and the end of the next decade, another 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65. That’s roughly one person every 8 seconds.² In 2016, the latest year for which data is available, people aged 65 and older accounted for 15% of the population in the U.S. By 2060, they are expected to represent more than one-in-four Americ
Read more