![]() Many user fees or charges are classified as offsetting collections, which are deposited into expenditure accounts. Collections of fees and charges may also be more sensitive to economic fluctuations, which could complicate financing of programs dependent on those revenue streams. Some have expressed concerns that user fee arrangements may bypass regular congressional scrutiny and dilute Congress’s power of the purse. ![]() ![]() They are voluntary, they connect the burden of financing activities to those who directly benefit from them, and can help decentralize decisionmaking by bypassing centralized allocation of resources. User fees and charges have several advantages as a means of financing public activities. User fees generally apply to federal programs or activities that provide special benefits to identifiable recipients above and beyond what is normally available to the public.” The Government Accountability Office (GAO) defines a user fee as a “fee assessed to users for goods or services provided by the federal government. Such fees and charges that result from voluntary choices, such as entering a national park, are distinguished from taxes-which stem from the government’s sovereign power to compel payments. For example, many national parks charge entry fees, which then help fund maintenance projects. Many fees stem from “business-like activities,” in which the government provides a service or benefit in return for payment. Choosing to raise public funds via user fees, as opposed to other means such as taxes, has important administrative and economic consequences. The federal government collects various fees from businesses and households.
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