What is the Difference Between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget?

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The main difference between a capital budget and a revenue budget lies in the nature of the expenses and their impact on the government's or company's assets and liabilities.

Revenue Budget:

  • Comprises revenue receipts and revenue expenditure.
  • Revenue receipts are money earned by the government or a company through taxes, dividends, and profits.
  • Revenue expenditure includes administrative expenses, salaries, pensions, etc..
  • These expenses do not impact the government's or company's assets and liabilities.
  • Examples of revenue budget components include excise duty, income tax, dividend income, salaries, and administrative costs.

Capital Budget:

  • Comprises capital receipts and capital expenditure.
  • Capital receipts cause a decrease in the assets of the government or an increase in its liabilities.
  • Capital expenditure creates or reduces liabilities and impacts the government's or company's assets and liabilities.
  • Examples of capital budget components include disinvestments, long-term investments, infrastructure development, and government assets.

In summary, the revenue budget focuses on short-term expenses and receipts, while the capital budget is concerned with long-term investments and expenditures that affect the government's or company's assets and liabilities.

Comparative Table: Capital Budget vs Revenue Budget

The key differences between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget are as follows:

Revenue Budget Capital Budget
Revenue receipts are money earned by the government as taxes and non-taxes like dividend income, profits, etc. Capital receipts cause a decrease in the assets of the government or increase its liabilities.
Revenue expenditure includes administrative expenses, salaries, pensions, etc. Capital expenditure creates or reduces liabilities.

Here is a table summarizing the differences between the two budgets:

Components Revenue Budget Capital Budget
Revenue Receipts Excise Duty, Income Tax, Dividend Income Capital Receipts: Borrowings, loans from a public or foreign government, or borrowings from the central bank
Revenue Expenditure Salaries, Administrative Costs Capital Expenditure: Expenditure on infrastructure and assets

In summary, the Revenue Budget deals with the government's sources of revenue and its day-to-day operational expenses, while the Capital Budget focuses on long-term investments and how they affect the government's assets and liabilities.