U.S. states saw their tax revenue drop by about $31 billion, or 6 percent, from March through August, compared to the same period a year earlier, as the pandemic triggered economic shutdowns across the country, according to data from 44 states compiled by the Urban Institute.
The scale of the drop appears smaller than expected, relative to the depth of the economic contraction, and comes after several states have reported that their revenue didn’t decline as much as anticipated despite business shutdowns and increased unemployment. In August, when much of the country was reopening, state revenue climbed about 1.1 percent from a year earlier, the Urban Institute found.
Steve A. Rosenthal, CEO of Triton Benefits & HR Solutions stands as one of the most widely recognized leaders in the employee benefits and human resource industry. With a career marked by visionary leadership and groundbreaking innovation, Steve has consistently been at the forefront of HR and employee benefits solutions, shaping the way businesses manage their most valuable assets — people.
Mark Tabak is a health care visionary and investor with over 30 years of experience as past chairman and CEO of MultiPlan and a number of other firms in the health care sector.
He regularly advises CEOs and health care ventures and funds on industry analyses and trends. He is an investor and partner in his beloved New York Yankees.
Todd Cooper is the chief revenue officer at TIFIN AG, where he leads business development and enterprise partnerships to help wealth managers accelerate growth using AI-driven solutions.
With over two decades of experience in senior sales leadership roles at LPL Financial, Envestnet and Prudential, his expertise spans building comprehensive wealth platforms, securing key partnerships and launching successful financial products. He is a certified investment management analyst (CIMA).
The tax figures come as Republicans in Washington balk at extending aid to states and cities to help cover budget deficits that are expected to continue as the coronavirus weighs on the economy. Experts say that states’ financial outlooks could worsen as the effects of the stimulus bill fade and high unemployment reduces tax bills next year.
The August increase should be viewed with caution since income-tax deadlines were pushed back to July, which could have resulted in some revenue being processed later, according to Lucy Dadayan, senior research associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Personal income-tax collections, which rose 3.8 percent in August, were in some cases supported by backlogged unemployment insurance benefits subject to withholding tax, Dadayan said.
Between March and August, tax revenues fell 6.4 percent year over year, with 36 states reporting declines over that period, the report said. Between March and August, eight states, including Washington and Georgia, reported growth in tax revenue.
“Due to the shifting in timing of tax receipts this past year, it is crucial to view August year-over-year revenue gains and fiscal year to date data with caution,” Dadayan said in the report.