Puerto Rico government budget balance

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The Puerto Rico government budget balance is the overall result of the budget of the government of Puerto Rico over the course of a fiscal year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 of the following year. As of November 2012, the government's balance is experiencing a deficit of about $1.1 billion US$.[ how? ] The government has about $15.1 billion in total assets and $48.8 billion in total liabilities.

Puerto Rico Unincorporated territory of the United States

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida.

Government budget balance Difference between revenues and spending

A government budget is a financial statement presenting the government's proposed revenues and spending for a financial year. The government budget balance, also alternatively referred to as general government balance, public budget balance, or public fiscal balance, is the overall difference between government revenues and spending. A positive balance is called a government budget surplus, and a negative balance is a government budget deficit. A budget is prepared for each level of government and takes into account public social security obligations.

Fiscal year 1-year term for government and business financial reporting

A fiscal year is used by governments for accounting and budget purposes, which varies between countries. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many jurisdictions require company financial reports to be prepared and published on an annual basis, but generally, do not require the reporting period to align with the calendar year. Taxation laws generally require accounting records to be maintained and taxes calculated on an annual basis, which usually corresponds to the fiscal year used for government purposes. The calculation of tax on an annual basis is especially relevant for direct taxation, such as income tax. Many annual government fees—such as Council rates, license fees, etc.—are also levied on a fiscal year basis, while others are charged on an anniversary basis.

Contents

2011 balance sheet [1]
(in thousands)
Assets
     Current assets
$3,848,674
     Capital assets
7,768,350
     Other assets
3,529,148
          Total assets
15,146,172
Liabilities
     Current liabilities
$4,795,304
     Noncurrent liabilities
44,028,843
          Total liabilities
48,824,147
Undesignated, Unreserved Fund Balances
     Invested in capital assets, net of related debt
$3,693,531
     Restricted
2,335,799
     Unrestricted
(39,707,305)
Total Net Assets (deficit)
$(33,677,975)

History

See also

Puerto Rico Consolidated Fund Sum of all revenues collected by the government of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Consolidated Fund is the sum of all revenues collected by the government of Puerto Rico; in specific, it includes:

Puerto Rico General Fund Primary operating fund of the government of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico General Fund is the primary operating fund of the government of Puerto Rico and comprises the portion of the Puerto Rico Consolidated Fund collected by the Department of Treasury of Puerto Rico through all the license fees and taxes collected by the executive departments of the government of Puerto Rico. The Fund was about $10.1 billion USD for the 2010 fiscal year, constituting a deficit. Although the Department of Treasury doesn't provide contemporary figures, the Fund is expected to decrease by 8.9% or about $1.0 billion for the 2011 fiscal year, followed by an increase of 1.2% or about $109.7 million for the 2011 year, and then decrease once again by 1.9% or about $177.3 million for the 2013 fiscal year.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and Puerto Ricans are US citizens. However, Puerto Rico is not a US state. Because of this, only Puerto Rican residents who are government employees, and those with income sources outside of the territory, pay federal income tax. All other employers and employees pay no federal income taxes. However, residents of Puerto Rico and businesses operating in Puerto Rico do pay some federal taxes, and the commonwealth's government has its own taxes as well.

Citations

  1. Méndez & Chevres 2011, p. 19.

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References