If you’ve ever received a paycheck, you’ve probably noticed that a big chunk of your earnings go to Uncle Sam. The government collects trillions of dollars in taxes every year. There are different types of taxes, such as income tax and property tax, but all funds collected are ultimately spent by the government.

In 2004, the federal budget was approximately $2 trillion. Here is a breakdown of how that money was spent:

• 26.2%—Military
• 22.6%—Interest on the national debt
• 19%—Health care
• 5.5%—Income security
• 3.4%—Veterans’ benefits
• 3.3%—Education
• 2.5%—Nutrition
• 1.6%—Housing
• 1.6%—Environment
• 11.4%—Everything else

You can get much more detailed information by visiting government agency websites like the Congressional Budget Office.

Tags: government spending, income tax, taxes