How Uncle Sam spends our tax dollars

November 7, 2010

In preparation for the upcoming Congressional debates on federal spending, check out this graphic on how Uncle Sam spends our tax dollars.

Tax_spending_MyBankTracker
Get a larger view by clicking on the image.
You might have to click it again once it opens in another window.

This infograph by MyBankTracker.com was created using the 2009 Budget from the White House website. To calculate the specific subhead numbers, estimated projections based on The Spending Outlook found on the Congressional Budget Office website were used.

As the image shows, government spending can be broken down into three categories: mandatory spending, discretionary spending and interest.

It's in the discretionary sector that lawmakers have the most flexibility, deciding the money needed for different programs under security agency spending and non-security agency spending.

If Congress is serious about keeping the current tax cuts in place, Representatives and Senators are going to be haggling over which programs to fund at what levels.

And I suspect that when push comes to shove, some lawmakers are going to try to recharacterize some discretionary funding as, at least politically, mandatory.

Related posts:

Want to tell your friends about this blog post? Click the Tweet This or Digg This buttons below or use the Share This icon to spread the word via e-mail, Facebook and other popular applications. Thanks!

Share:

The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

Latest Posts
6 tax moves to consider this June

June 3, 2026

Definitely take a break this June. But taxes don’t take vacations. So, you also should…

Read More
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.)

Comments