They exist in the budget transactions but not in the intergovernmental debt or overall national debt. That's what is confusing you.
The budget deficit/surplus is simply the accounting of receipts minus outlays. Receipts are: income taxes, corporate taxes, excise taxes, and custom duties. That's called federal revenue.
“They exist in the budget transactions but not in the intergovernmental debt or overall national debt. That’s what is confusing you.”
I’m not in the least confused. You, however, think those surpluses based on liabilities are relevant. They aren’t.
Income is NOT LIABILITIES. T-bills and bonds are notes and liabilities.
“The budget deficit/surplus is simply the accounting of receipts minus outlays. Receipts are: income taxes, corporate taxes, excise taxes, and custom duties. That’s called federal revenue.”
You are ignoring one big non-income revenue source that creates your non-surplus: Social Security Treasury purchases and the sale of other bonds. That is counted - against GAAP - as income. It is not. This is what you do not understand about your numbers and why you do not understand why those books are cooked.