Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968
Lyndon Johnson on June 28, 1968 |
The Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968 is a United States law that created a temporary 10 percent
Though the act imposed a 10 percent surcharge overall, Johnson noted its limited effects on some, saying just before signing the bill, "A family of four earning less than $5,000 ($43,809 in 2023 dollars) would pay nothing additional. A family making $10,000 ($87,617 in 2023 dollars) would pay just $2 ($18 in 2023 dollars) extra per week".[1] The law took into effect for corporations on January 1, 1968, and for individuals on April 1, 1968, with the surcharge ending on July 1, 1969.[2]
As a result of the tax, the federal government had a budget surplus in 1969, which would be its last until 1998.[3] The tax has been the third largest one-year revenue increase adjusted for inflation and the largest as a percent of the GDP since 1968, which is quite impressive for a surcharge that people don't often even know about.[4] The US economy showed slowdown starting in 1968. Quarterly, the GDP Growth gradually slowed from 8.4% in Q1 of 1968 to -1.9% in Q4 1969.[5] Annually, the GDP Growth slowed from 4.8% in 1968 to 0.2% in 1970.[6] The tax, however, visibly did nearly nothing to help in the Vietnam War as the US pulled out of the war in 1973 and South Vietnam officially lost in 1975.
The automobile excise tax was repealed in 1971 in the
Legislative history
- Final House of Representatives vote, June 20, 1968[7]
Vote by Party | Yea | Nay | Not Voting | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republicans | 114 | 61% | 73 | 39% | 0 | |
Democrats | 153 | 66% | 77 | 34% | 14 | |
Total | 267 | 64% | 150 | 36% | 14 |
- Final Senate vote, June 21, 1968[8]
Vote by Party | Yea | Nay | Not Voting | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republicans | 31 | 94% | 2 | 6% | 3 |
Democrats | 33 | 70% | 14 | 30% | 16 |
Total | 64 | 80% | 16 | 20% | 19 |
References
- ^ "Historical Perspective: Sacrifice and Surcharge (Copyright, 2005, Tax Analysts)".
- ^ https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/PrtRevenue.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Federal Surplus or Deficit [-]". 30 June 1901.
- ^ "Biggest Tax Increase in History?". 10 July 2012.
- ^ "Real Gross Domestic Product". April 1947.
- ^ "GDP growth (Annual %) - United States | Data".
- ^ "TO ADOPT THE CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 15414, THE REVENUE ... -- House Vote #357 -- Jun 20, 1968".
- ^ "TO AGREE TO CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 15414, THE PROPOSED ... -- Senate Vote #468 -- Jun 21, 1968".