this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Money collected from taxes is basically recorded in a ledger / account by the Treasury. Some people look at this as the end of the lifespan of that money or the destruction of that money.

Money begins its life by being spent by the federal government. They essentially create money with the press of a keystroke (granted they are spending funds which are approved by Congress and allocated for projects), the money credits a Treasury account, then they transfer it / spend it which puts the money into circulation.

The federal government does not actually NEED the money you pay in taxes to fund their spending. Money does not come from people. It is created solely by the treasury. The federal government WANTS the money from taxes to approximately match the amount they put into circulation through spending in order to prevent runaway inflation. If they spend more than they collect they are adding to the supply of money which seems to be normal for a society with a growing population and successful marketplaces, but if they spend too much you get inflation.

The federal government believes that balancing is important. They want the amount of goods and services that America exports globally to match the amount America imports. Each year there is a deficit which means that America receives more goods and services than it exports. In order to balance this, the Treasury issues bonds equaling the amount of the year's trade deficit. We don't have to do this but we choose to because we believe it will create financial stability.

When the US issues bonds it collects money and gives a promise to make interest payments and to repay those bonds when they are due. Those bonds are debt. This is essentially how the government borrows money.

This is a fantastic article from the Bank of England which is like the US Treasury https://share.google/GmWpluu76vSJpuw5C