Dylan Scott is a GOVERNING staff writer.
E-mail: dscott@governing.comTwitter: @dylanlscott
Federal News
Want to See How Your Federal Tax Dollars Are Spent?
This week, the White House has updated its Federal Tax Reciept calculator to reflect current spending levels in time for the April tax season.
President Barack Obama proposed such a calculator that would allow Americans to observe in very specific ways how their federal tax dollars are spent; the effort launched last year.
The tool breaks down citizens' contributions along major spending areas (national defense, health care, education and job training, etc.), and those categories can be broken down futher (Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, college student financial aid, etc.) for specific dollar amounts based on an individual's payments.
According to the calculator's parameters, national defense (24.9 percent of one's total income tax payment), health care (23.7 percent) and welfare programs (19.1 percent) take up the bulk of each person's federal tax contributions. Notably, payment on the net interest on the nation's debt is the fourth largest figure at 8.1 percent.
Calculate your own percentages at the White House's website.
A few states have also adopted a similar transparency device. California's income tax receipt, available here, functions almost identically to the federal government's.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for updates.
- Most Viewed
- Comments
-
- Congress Passes Highway, Transit Bill
"$util.encode.html($string.substring($comment.comment,0,$space))..." - Obama Proposes $75 Billion for Universal Preschool
"There are numerous studies from decades of research of early childhood education that..."
- Congress Passes Highway, Transit Bill
Latest from Federal News
- Connecticut's Landmark Gun Law Faces Court Challenge
- A coalition of gun owners, gun dealers and firearms rights organizations have sued the governor and members of the state's attorney's office, contending that the gun law passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings violates the Constitution.
- Border-State Governors Call for More Security
- Advances in technology like drones, fences and surveillance cameras are playing a prominent role in the immigration debate. Some argue they've made the border more secure than ever, but governors in border states say the work is far from done.
- Arizona's 20-Week Abortion Ban Struck Down
- Arizona is likely to appeal the ruling and may ask the nation's high court to re-examine the right to abortion, established in the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
- Supreme Court to Reexamine Church-State Separation at Government Meetings
- The Supreme Court has agreed to revisit the issue of church-state separation and decide whether a town council can begin most of its monthly meetings with a prayer from a Christian pastor.
- Obama Declares Oklahoma Tornado a Major Disaster
- At least 51 people were killed when a massive tornado blasted through central Oklahoma, flattening neighborhoods and destroying two elementary schools. The grim work of search, rescue and recovery continues today.
GOVERNING Data
- U.S. City Population Map: 1990-2012
- View an interactive map with updated figures for cities with populations exceeding 50,000.
- Average Hospital Cost By State
- Youth Unemployment Rate, Figures by State
- U.S. County Population Change Map: 2010-2012
- International Migration: U.S. Cities and Metro Area Populations
- Same Sex Marriage Map: State Laws
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
RSS
© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved. |