Chapter 3 Financial Highlights

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Chapter 3
Financial Highlights

In 2005 the Postal Service recognized a revenue forgone reimbursement of $109 million to fund free mail for the blind and for mailing overseas voting materials. These accounted for less than 0.2 percent of total Postal Service revenue in 2005. Because legislation delayed payment until future years, this amount remains in accounts receivable at the end of the year.

Additionally, in 2002 and 2005, the Postal Service received four appropriations from the federal government to help fund costs related to homeland security and emergency preparedness. Those appropriations are discussed in the next section.

Table 3-8 Historical and Present - Year Impact of Congressional Appropriations
on Mail Revenue 1971, 1976, 1986, 1996, and 2005
Year	Total Mail Revenue ($ millions)	Mail Revenue Without Apporpriations ($ millions)	Appropriation Category	Income From Appropriation ($ millions)	Appropriation as a Precentage of Total Mail Revenue
1971*	8,752	6,665	Deficiency in rates fees, and Public Service	2,087	23.8
1976	blank	blank	Free and reduced-rate mail	725	blank
blank	blank	blank	Reconciliation for prior years	none	blank
	blank	blank	Public Service	920	blank
	12,844	11,199	blank	1,645**	12.8
1986	blank	blank	Free and reduced-rate mail	750	blank
	blank	blank	Reconciliation for prior years	(34)	blank
	blank	blank	Public Service	0	blank
	30,818	30,102	blank	716	2.3
1996	blank	blank	Free and reduced-rate mail	56	blank
	blank	blank	Public Service Net Impact of Revenue Forgone Act of 1993	37	blank
	56,402	56,309	blank	93**	0.2
2005	blank	blank	Free mail for the blind and overseas voting	55	blank
	blank	blank	Reconciliation for prior years	54	blank
	blank	blank	Public Service	0	blank
	69,909	69,798	blank	109	0.2

*The amounts for 1971 are from the Post Office Department in the year prior to the creation of the Postal Service.

**This amount does not include the appropriation for Post Office Department Transitional Costs.