what was happening in the economy when the balanced budget act was passed
1997 Balanced Budget and Taxpayer Relief Act. SUMMARY: The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (a spending bill) and the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (a tax bill) legislated the elimination of the annual budget deficit by 2002.n the end, tax revenues were increasing at such a rate that the federal budget went into surplus several years ahead of schedule in FY 1998 and continued in surplus in 1999, 2000, and 2001. FURTHER INFORMATION: Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Pub. Law No.: 105-33).