The United States government reported a rare surplus of $113 billion for April, the largest in five years and a sign of the nation’s improving finances. Steady economic growth and higher tax rates have increased tax revenue in recent months, keeping this year’s annual budget deficit on pace to be the smallest since 2008. Through the first seven months of the budget year, the deficit was $488 billion, according to the Treasury, less than last year’s deficit of $720 billion over the same period. Even with the improvement, the deficit for the full year will still be quite large: the Congressional Budget Office expects it will reach $845 billion when the budget year ends on Sept. 30. While that would be the first annual deficit below $1 trillion since 2008, it would still be the fifth-largest deficit in United States history. 
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