Booming economy causing tax revenues to surge, 'experts' dumbfounded

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/wa...gewanted=print

July 9, 2006

Surprising Jump in Tax Revenues Is Curbing Deficit


By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

WASHINGTON, July 8 — An unexpectedly steep rise in tax revenues from corporations and the wealthy is driving down the projected budget deficit this year, even though spending has climbed sharply because of the war in Iraq and the cost of hurricane relief.

On Tuesday, White House officials are expected to announce that the tax receipts will be about $250 billion above last year's levels and that the deficit will be about $100 billion less than what they projected six months ago. The rising tide in tax payments has been building for months, but the increased scale is surprising even seasoned budget analysts and making it easier for both the administration and Congress to finesse the big run-up in spending over the past year.

Tax revenues are climbing twice as fast as the administration predicted in February, so fast that the budget deficit could actually decline this year.

The main reason is a big spike in corporate tax receipts, which have nearly tripled since 2003, as well as what appears to be a big increase in individual taxes on stock market profits and executive bonuses.

On Friday, the Congressional Budget Office reported that corporate tax receipts for the nine months ending in June hit $250 billion — nearly 26 percent higher than the same time last year — and that overall revenues were $206 billion higher than at this point in 2005.

Congressional analysts say the surprise windfall could shrink the deficit this year to $300 billion, from $318 billion in 2005 and an all-time high of $412 billion in 2004.

but the increased scale is surprising even seasoned budget analysts

Why are the "experts" always surprised by this??? Tax revenues always increase after tax cuts...

[pinky]

Originally Posted by Regis Philbin

Why are the "experts" always surprised by this??? Tax revenues always increase after tax cuts...

Is that so?

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-taxcollections.htm

[Venisenvy]

So if they actually cut spending instead of spending like drunken sailors we might have a really awesome economy?