Important Terms To Know Before Budget 2019

Union Budget is an annual financial statement of Government of India. It details its finances - where money comes from and where it goes - as well as estimates of the amount of money required for various programmes and services going forward. Each year, the much awaited event is monitored closely for its possible impact on different sections of the economy. From economists to analysts to tax experts to the general public, all eyes remain on Budget announcements for any signs of changes in policy in the coming period. 

Here are some of the basic terms you need to know to understand the Budget:

Budget documents

This is a set of documents tabled in Parliament as part of Budget. They include Budget Speech, Annual Financial Statement, Demands for Grants (DG), Macro-Economic Framework and Fiscal Policy Strategy Statements, Expenditure Budget, Receipts Budget and Expenditure Profile.

Budget speech

It is the speech delivered by the finance minister in Parliament to present the Budget.

Finance Bill

A government submits its proposals - in terms of imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of taxes - to Parliament through this document. 

Financial statement

This document shows the estimated receipts and expenditure of Government of India for the coming period in relation to the year gone by. It also contains details on actual expenditure for the year before past year. The financial statement has three parts: Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund and Public Account.

Capital budget

Capital budget consists of capital receipts and payments, including investments in shares, loans and advances granted by Centre to states, government companies, corporations and other parties. Capital receipts and capital payments together constitute the capital budget. 

Capital receipts

Capital receipts comprise loans raised by government from the public - called market loans; borrowings from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through sale of treasury bills; loans received from foreign governments and bodies, and recoveries of loans granted by Centre to States, Union Territories and other parties. They also include the proceeds from disinvestment of government equity in public enterprises. 

Expenditure Budget

Estimates made with respect to the amount of money required for a scheme or programme are indicated in the Expenditure Budget. These estimates are shown on a net basis in terms of revenue and capital in this section.

Fiscal deficit

It is the amount of money by which government expenditure in a year exceeds government collections (receipts). In other words, the excess of total expenditure over total non-borrowed receipts is called fiscal deficit. To meet the shortfall, government borrows money from the public.

Fiscal policy

Fiscal policy is a change in government spending or taxing designed to influence economic activity. A government can moderate aggregate demand in the economy by tweaking the pattern and magnitude of budgetary surpluses and the way they are financed.

Plan outlay

It is the amount of money earmarked on projects, schemes and programmes announced in the Plan. In other words, it indicates how much money the government requires to achieve certain goals mentioned in the Plan. 

Balanced Budget

A Budget is said to be balanced when receipts equal expenditure. 

Budget estimates

It is the projection of the cost of a programme or goal prepared for budgeting and planning purposes. 

Revenue budget

Revenue budget consists of revenue receipts and the expenditure met from these revenues. Tax revenues comprise proceeds of taxes and other duties levied by government. 

Revenue expenditure

Revenue expenditure is the expenditure which does not result in creation of assets for government is treated as revenue expenditure.

Revenue deficit

A revenue deficit occurs when revenue expenditure exceeds revenue receipts, and is determined as the amount of money by which the former exceeds the latter.

TAXES AND INTEREST RATES

Direct tax

Direct taxes are the taxes that are paid directly by individuals (income tax) and corporations (corporate tax) to government.

Indirect tax

Indirect taxes, such as Goods and Services Tax, are paid to the government indirectly by the end-consumer.

Inflation

The rate of increase in price. In other words, it is the pace at which prices of goods and services move higher. 

Monetary policy and repo rate

It comprises actions taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to regulate the level of money or liquidity in the economy, such as changes in key lending rates. It is the key interest rate at which the central bank lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities.