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.
Suzanne McCall is a learning and development consultant with Pinnacle Group Business Resources.
Donna Stephens is a managing director at Deloitte Tax LLP. She joined Deloitte in November 2020 as managing director with over 26 years of experience serving clients across various industries. Prior to joining Deloitte, she was senior director of operations and chief of staff for tax, FP&A and global functions finance for a Fortune 500 technology company. She specializes in global tax compliance and has designed and built several global centers of excellence.
At Active Digital, David drives and oversees the company's go-to-market motions, client partnership and success motions, solution and delivery capabilities, and thought-leadership efforts. He also ensures corporate operations and talent alignment with the needs and pace of Active's growth and delivery orgs. Beyond his internal business leadership, David loves to invest time in strategic client relationships and projects.
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.