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  1. Home
  2. ›Definitions
  3. ›Budget concepts
  4. ›On-budget vs off-budget

Budget concept

On-budget vs off-budget

Off-budget usually means Social Security (and sometimes Postal Service) accounts.

What this means

Most of the federal budget is “on-budget.” Social Security’s trust funds are legally off-budget, so some tables split totals. Combined figures still matter for the overall deficit and debt picture.

Related

  • Deficit or surplus

    When outlays exceed revenues (deficit) or fall short (surplus) in a fiscal year.

All definitions · Methodology