Budget Deficit vs Fiscal Deficit
In today’s highly uncertain business environment, it is essential for organizations to plan and monitor business operations. A budget is an important part of financial planning as it lays out the company’s future income and projected expenses. Preparing a budget will provide an organization the tools it needs to operate in a financially healthy manner, and will help an organization meet all its obligations. Budgets are essential for large corporations as well as governments to manage income and expenditure. Especially for a government, managing a healthy budget may prove to be a challenging task. This article takes a closer look at Budget Deficits and Fiscal Deficits and will highlight the differences and similarities between the two.
Budget Deficit
A budget deficit will occur when an organization/government does not earn enough revenue to cover its expenditure. There are a number of types of budget deficits that include revenue deficits, fiscal deficits and primary deficits. The main causes for a deficit to occur would be the organization’s/government’s inability to raise sufficient funds (as projected earlier) or could also be as a result of unexpected expenditures. A budget deficit is not healthy for the government/organization as this means that additional funding will be required to balance the deficit, for which interest will have to be paid in large sums. The solution to a budget deficit for a government would be to increase taxes, find new avenues for revenue and reduce government spending.
Fiscal Deficit
A fiscal deficit is a type of budget deficit and occurs when the income for the year is insufficient to cover the expenses incurred. When the organization or government suffers a fiscal deficit, there will be no excess funds to invest in the development of the organization/country. A fiscal deficit would also mean that an organization/government will have to borrow funds to make up for the deficit which will result in higher levels of interest expenditure. A fiscal deficit can be caused by a revenue deficit or an unexpected expenditure such as a fire destroying company premises, or a natural disaster that requires the government to reconstruct housing.
Budget Deficit vs Fiscal Deficit
A budget deficit, whichever type it maybe, is not a situation that any organization or government would like to find themselves in. A budget deficit can lead to higher levels of borrowing, higher interest payments, and low reinvestment, which will result in lower revenue during the following year. There is very little difference between a fiscal deficit and a budget deficit because a fiscal deficit is merely a type of budget deficit. Both fiscal and budget deficits can be detrimental to the future financial stability of an organization/government and could only result in higher debt and borrowing expenditure, low investment, and stagnant growth.
Summary:
• A budget is an important part of financial planning as it lays out the company’s future income and projected expenses. Preparing a budget will provide an organization the tools it needs to operate in a financially healthy manner, and will help an organization meet all its obligations.
• A budget deficit will occur when an organization/government does not earn enough revenue to cover its expenditure.
• A fiscal deficit is a type of budget deficit and can be caused by a revenue deficit or an unexpected expenditure such as a fire destroying company premises, or a natural disaster that requires the government to reconstruct housing.