According to the U.S. Treasury, monthly receipts totalled $272.445 billion and spending came in at $226.718 billion, resulting in a surplus of $45.726 billion for August.
Economists were expecting the monthly deficit to come in at $45.0 billion, following the previous month's $111.9 billion budget deficit. The September 2007 surplus was $112.9 billion.
Receipts for the fiscal year to date came in at $2.524 trillion, while outlays - or government spending - totalled $2.979 trillion.
The fiscal year-to-date deficit came in at $454.806 billion.
By Patrick McGee and edited by Sarah Sussman
©CEP News Ltd. 2008