Archived - The Fiscal Monitor A publication of the Department of Finance: 2015-12

December 2015: budgetary surplus of $2.2 billion

There was a budgetary surplus of $2.2 billion in December 2015, compared to a surplus of $2.4 billion in December 2014. Revenues increased by $31 million, or 0.1 per cent. Program expenses increased by $0.5 billion, or 2.6 per cent, reflecting increases in major transfers to persons and other levels of government, offset in part by a decrease in direct program expenses. Public debt charges decreased by $0.2 billion, or 10.7 per cent.

April to December 2015: budgetary surplus of $3.2 billion

For the April to December 2015 period of the 2015–16 fiscal year, the Government posted a budgetary surplus of $3.2 billion, compared to a deficit of $0.9 billion reported in the same period of 2014–15. Revenues were up $14.2 billion, or 7.2 per cent, reflecting increases in all revenue sources. Program expenses were up $11.2 billion, or 6.3 per cent, reflecting increases in all major categories of program spending. Public debt charges were down $1.1 billion, or 5.3 per cent, largely reflecting lower average effective interest rates on Government of Canada bonds and treasury bills.

There was a budgetary surplus of $2.2 billion in December 2015, compared to a surplus of $2.4 billion in December 2014.

Revenues in December 2015 totalled $24.9 billion, up $31 million, or 0.1 per cent, from December 2014.

• Personal income tax revenues were up $1.7 billion, or 14.0 per cent. This strong growth reflects, in part, timing issues as well as an accrual adjustment in December 2015 to incorporate updated information for the year as a whole.
• Corporate income tax revenues were down $0.4 billion, or 10.6 per cent.
• Non-resident income tax revenues were down $0.1 billion, or 13.4 per cent.
• Excise taxes and duties were down $0.1 billion, or 2.7 per cent. Within this category, Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues decreased by $0.2 billion, energy taxes increased by $30 million, customs import duties increased by $29 million, and other excise taxes and duties increased by $17 million.
• Employment Insurance (EI) premium revenues were up $32 million, or 3.4 per cent.
• Other revenues, consisting of net profits from enterprise Crown corporations, revenues of consolidated Crown corporations, revenues from sales of goods and services, returns on investments, net foreign exchange revenues and miscellaneous revenues, decreased by $1.1 billion, or 33.2 per cent, largely reflecting the gain realized in December 2014 on the transfer to Ontario of the province’s one-third portion of the Government’s holdings of General Motors common shares.

Program expenses in December 2015 were $20.7 billion, up $0.5 billion, or 2.6 per cent, from December 2014.

• Major transfers to persons, consisting of elderly, EI and children’s benefits, increased by $0.5 billion, or 8.5 per cent. Elderly and EI benefits each increased by $0.1 billion. Children’s benefits, which consist of the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), increased by $0.4 billion, or 33.5 per cent, due mainly to the enhancement and expansion of the UCCB effective January 2015.
• Major transfers to other levels of government consist of federal transfers in support of health and other social programs (primarily the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer), fiscal arrangements and other transfers (Equalization, transfers to the territories, as well as a number of smaller transfer programs), transfers to provinces on behalf of Canada’s cities and communities, and the Quebec Abatement. Major transfers to other levels of government increased by $0.4 billion, or 7.9 per cent, largely reflecting legislated growth in the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, Equalization transfers and transfers to the territories, as well as an increase in transfers to Canada’s cities and communities, reflecting year-over-year timing differences.
• Direct program expenses include transfer payments to individuals and organizations not included in major transfers to persons and other levels of government, and other direct program expenses, which consist of the operating expenses of National Defence, other departments and agencies, and expenses of Crown corporations. Direct program expenses were down $0.4 billion, or 4.7 per cent. Within direct program expenses:
  • Transfer payments decreased by $1.1 billion, or 45.2 per cent, largely reflecting the accelerated repayment of contributions by Pratt & Whitney Canada in December 2015.
  • Other direct program expenses increased by $0.7 billion, or 10.2 per cent, reflecting increases in Crown corporation expenses and operating expenses of departments and agencies.

Public debt charges decreased by $0.2 billion, or 10.7 per cent, reflecting a lower average effective interest rate on the stock of interest-bearing debt.

For the April to December 2015 period of the 2015–16 fiscal year, there was a budgetary surplus of $3.2 billion, compared to a deficit of $0.9 billion reported during the same period of 2014–15.

Revenues increased by $14.2 billion, or 7.2 per cent, to $212.1 billion.

• Personal income tax revenues were up $5.5 billion, or 5.6 per cent.
• Corporate income tax revenues were up $4.3 billion, or 17.7 per cent, largely reflecting assessments and reassessments for prior tax years as well as the timing of current-year tax instalments. Corporations are generally required to remit monthly instalment payments for the current year based on either their previous year’s actual tax liability or their current year’s projected tax liability. This practice can introduce a lag in the impact of economic events on monthly corporate income tax revenues, which will only unwind near the end of the fiscal year.
• Non-resident income tax revenues were up $0.2 billion, or 4.8 per cent.
• Excise taxes and duties were up $2.6 billion, or 7.2 per cent. GST revenues increased by $1.7 billion, or 7.1 per cent, energy taxes by $0.2 billion, customs import duties by $0.6 billion, and other excise taxes and duties by $0.1 billion.
• EI premium revenues were up $0.5 billion, or 3.6 per cent, reflecting growth in earnings.
• Other revenues were up $1.1 billion, or 5.3 per cent, due mainly to increased revenues from Crown corporations.

For the April to December 2015 period, program expenses were $189.0 billion, up $11.2 billion, or 6.3 per cent, from the same period the previous year.

• Major transfers to persons were up $6.0 billion, or 10.8 per cent. Elderly benefits increased by $1.3 billion, or 4.0 per cent, reflecting growth in the elderly population and changes in consumer prices, to which benefits are fully indexed. EI benefit payments increased by $1.0 billion, or 7.5 per cent, and children’s benefits were up $3.7 billion, or 37.8 per cent, largely reflecting increased benefits related to the enhancement and expansion of the UCCB.
• Major transfers to other levels of government were up $1.9 billion, or 4.1 per cent, largely reflecting legislated growth in the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, Equalization transfers and transfers to the territories.
• Direct program expenses were up $3.3 billion, or 4.4 per cent. Within direct program expenses:
  • Transfer payments decreased by $1.0 billion, or 4.4 per cent, largely reflecting the accelerated repayment of contributions by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
  • Other direct program expenses increased by $4.3 billion, or 8.1 per cent, due in large part to an increase in Crown corporation expenses and an increase in government pension and benefit costs based on the Government’s latest actuarial valuations.

Public debt charges decreased by $1.1 billion, or 5.3 per cent, largely reflecting lower average effective interest rates on Government of Canada bonds and treasury bills.

The budgetary balance is presented on an accrual basis of accounting, recording government revenues and expenses when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when the cash is received or paid. In contrast, the financial source/requirement measures the difference between cash coming in to the Government and cash going out. This measure is affected not only by changes in the budgetary balance but also by the cash source/requirement resulting from the Government’s investing activities through its acquisition of capital assets and its loans, financial investments and advances, as well as from other activities, including payment of accounts payable and collection of accounts receivable, foreign exchange activities, and the amortization of its tangible capital assets. The difference between the budgetary balance and financial source/requirement is recorded in non-budgetary transactions.

With a budgetary surplus of $3.2 billion and a financial requirement of $20.9 billion from non-budgetary transactions, there was a financial requirement of $17.7 billion for the April to December 2015 period, compared to a financial source of $0.7 billion for the same period the previous year.

The Government financed this financial requirement of $17.7 billion and increased cash balances by $11.0 billion by increasing unmatured debt by $28.7 billion. The increase in unmatured debt was achieved primarily through the issuance of marketable bonds and treasury bills.

The level of cash balances varies from month to month based on a number of factors including periodic large debt maturities, which can be quite volatile on a monthly basis. Cash balances at the end of December 2015 stood at $39.0 billion, up $10.8 billion from their level at the end of December 2014.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, changes in financial results are presented on a year-over-year basis.

For inquiries about this publication, contact Glenn Purves at 613-369-5655.

February 2016