Obama To Give Back 5% Of Salary

[Igel]

34. "United States Treasury."

http://www.fms.treas.gov/faq/moretopics_gifts.html

Strictly speaking, it's not extra tax--tax is the amount levied by law, so the demand is really for those saying their taxes aren't high enough to instead make a gift to augment the amount paid. The money is available for all the same purposes.

Back in the '80s I knew a guy who did that. He'd collected some entitlement during hard times and when he got back on his feet felt he had a debt to repay, and for years afterward he sent in an extra check to show his gratitude.


This is completely different from making a gift or donation specifically for paying down the federal debt. That check would be made out to the "Bureau of the Public Debt." See http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtFinance .

According to http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/gift/gift.htm (the URL that linked to the previous website), in 2012 nearly $8 billion was donated specifically to help pay down the debt.