GOP says tax cuts are helping shrink federal deficit

July 12, 2007

OK, I pick on Dubya and his buddies. A lot.

And I’m not going to stop, in large part because I have major reservations about many of this Administration’s tax policies.

But, as a journalist, I feel duty bound to report the latest deficit reduction news.

The U.S. budget deficit will narrow
to $205 billion this year, the lowest since 2002, according to the White House. The reason, Administration officials say, is rising tax revenue.

Pile_of_money_3
The prez and his fellow Republicans credit some $2 trillion in
tax reductions over the last 6½ years with fueling
economic growth that has produced the government revenue.

This year, individual income taxes through May came to almost $766 billion, up 11 percent; corporate tax receipts through that period were up 15
percent,
to almost $211 billion.

These figures appear to be an answer, at least from the White House’s point of view, to recently raised questions about the ability of tax cuts to drive the U.S. economy a bit further down the road.

But the increased tax collections also are likely to prompt more discussions on how to use the funds in the short-term and whether such collections can be sustained over the longer haul.

That longer haul issue is especially important, as Baby Boomers age every day, prompting projections that spending on Social Security and Medicare will balloon in coming years.

You can read more on the latest deficit numbers and get perspectives from both sides of the political aisle in these stories from Bloomberg, the Washington Post and the New York Times.

 

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Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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