The state budget is a very voluminous concept. It can mean both an official document of a national scale, and all financial resources available to the state.
What is the state budget?
Everything sovereign states today they have their own budget - in the broad sense of the word, a source of finance, which ensures the work of the most important political structures and government institutions.
In a narrower sense, the state budget is an official document containing a plan for the distribution of financial resources drawn up by the highest authorities. In the Russian state, these structures are represented by the Ministry of Finance, it is it that is responsible for the distribution of government spending in accordance with its income.
The budget of Russia is a key link in the entire financial system of the state, expressing the economic relationship of budgets of all levels and government bodies.
Model of the Russian state budget
The form of political and administrative structure of the state determines how it is necessary to classify the budget of Russia. The components of the Russian state budget are as follows: federal, regional and municipal. Accordingly, financial injections of these three budgets form the single state budget.
Although the subjects of the Russian Federation have a certain independence in terms of receiving and distributing funds, it is precisely the federal budget revenues that are a key element of the economic stability of the whole country.
In addition, a large number of regions need federal financial support. Thus, the size of the federal budget determines the degree of financial assistance to some regions and municipalities.
Of particular note is the fact that the Russian budget at all its levels is subordinate to general principles, has a single legal framework, etc.
Budget Functions
- Distribution - the distribution of funds at all levels of government.
- Control - state control over the receipt and distribution of budget funds.
- Regulatory - the solution of various economic problems of the country through the allocation of budgetary funds.
State budget revenues
State revenues - funds received at the disposal of the state authorities of the Russian Federation in the legislatively determined gratuitous and irrevocable order.
Russia's budget has two types of income: tax and non-tax.
Tax income
Tax revenues are determined by state tax legislation. The main sources of tax revenue for the Russian Federation are: federal taxes, customs duties, and state duty.
A key element of tax revenue is the state duty for oil export. According to average estimates, the profit from the sale of oil is about 35% of the total revenue.
Of course, in comparison with the total GDP, this amount seems negligible. In addition, another item of tax revenue is gas export. Total oil and gas revenues account for a good half of total government revenue at the appropriate level.
Non-tax revenues
Non-tax revenues come to the budget of Russia from three main sources:
- proceeds from the use of state property and its sale;
- a certain percentage of the income of unitary enterprises;
- additional financing from budgets of other levels;
- compensation, confiscation, fines, etc.
Share non-tax revenue in the total revenue of the treasury is very small.
In addition to the collection methods, state budget revenues are classified according to the following criteria: method of receipt of funds in the budget, socio-economic indicator, specific object of taxation, source of payment and specific type of taxes.
However, the classification of state revenues by the above criteria is extremely rare.
State budget expenditures
State budget expenditures are economic relations arising in the process of distribution of state budget funds and their use as intended.
In other words, budget expenditures are expenses incurred by the state in the process of fulfilling its direct functions.
Budget expenses cover the entire economic system of the state, since it takes into account the economic interests of all members of society. The composition and size of expenses is influenced by many different factors, for example, the type of government, its policy (both external and internal), the level of economy and welfare of the population, etc.
Another item of expenditure is the distribution of the budget between organizations that receive budget funds, as well as subsidies, subventions, subsidies, etc.
Among the main items of expenditure of the state budget of the Russian Federation, a special place is occupied by health care, culture, education, defense, law enforcement, social security and payments on the external debt of the state.
For the most part, budget expenditures in Russia are irrevocable, and their structure is regularly changing, determined by the economic situation in the country.
Justification of government spending
The big problem in the financial structure of the state is the low economic justification of state budget expenditures. It is the president of Russia V.V. Putin in one of his public speeches noted this omission. According to financial analysts, even with a regular increase in the financial budget, it will be difficult for the state to fulfill its financial obligations without finalizing the decision-making system for determining the priority of cost items. According to experts, the most important task of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation is the competent and reasonable distribution of funds received in the state budget.
Drafting the state budget
Drafting the state budget is one of the most important tasks of the government of the Russian Federation. This procedure should be started at least 10 months before January of the following calendar year.
Until the end of March, the president sends a budget message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, in which he formulates the main elements of the financial budget for the next year, based on the priorities of the state in the economy and social policy, as well as the need to prevent a budget deficit in Russia.
Based on the statistics for the past year and economic growth trends, a forecast is made of the socio-economic development of the state. Then, based on this forecast, the main characteristics of the financial budget for the next year (i.e., the Russian budget in figures) are developed, after which the amount of financing is distributed in accordance with the classification of the state's economic tasks.
A document drawn up in this way is sent to the State Duma and the President of the Russian Federation for consideration no later than 24 hours on August 15. After reading the document, the State Duma arranges 4 public readings, as a result of which the state budget of Russia should be adopted in its entirety. Amendment at the last, fourth hearing is not allowed.
