Capitol building
The US Capitol Building is lit at sunset on 20 December 2016 Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The US government is heading towards another shutdown unless Congress passes a new spending bill and President Donald Trump signs it into law.

If they fail, the result would be a partial government shutdown in which most services would stop, except those deemed "essential", such as national security work performed by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.

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Active duty military personnel would not be furloughed, but roughly 40% of non-defence employees would be.

According to Standard and Poor's, the 16-day shutdown in October 2013 cost the US $24bn (£18.7bn, (€22.1bn).

What would happen if the US government shut down?

If the Friday deadline isn't met then the shutdown would begin and the impact would be wide and varied.

Every shutdown is different because federal agencies have different ways of dealing with the situation depending on funding and resources and the time of the shutdown.

Many areas from travel, parks, and justice will all be affected if the shutdown takes hold.

Parked up

During past shutdowns, the National Park Service has had to close its parks and historic sites, which range from the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona to the Statue of Liberty National Monument in New York Harbour.

In 2013, events that had to be called off because they were due to take place in national parks and historic sites included weddings in Washington's National Mall, boating along the Georgetown waterfront and a Ku Klux Klan rally in Gettysburg.

Passport to nowhere

US citizens who need a new passport are advised to act fast.

The State Department's passport service is funded partly by fees, which means it is not completely dependent on Congress for money and may be able to continue to issue passports for at least a short time.

Gunning for action

A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This means that if you want a gun permit, it won't be processed until after the shutdown.

What a load of garbage

If you live in Washington, expect trash to pile up if there's a shutdown. There won't be anyone to collect your garbage.

Washington's budget must be approved by Congress. No budget for the city means no trash collection.

According to The Washington Post, DC produces about 500 tonnes of waste each week.

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