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.
Teresa Carroll is the vice president of PEO (Professional Employer Organization) at Paychex and the president of Oasis, by Paychex HR.
Matt Harmon has served as the senior vice president of claims for The MEMIC Group since 2015. In this role, he is responsible for all claim-related activities for MEMIC across 40+ jurisdictions. Matt brings more than 25 years of workers’ compensation claims experience to his position. Matt began his insurance career in 1994 after graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in Business Administration. Active in his community, Matt currently serves on the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Southern Maine and Boots2Roots. He is a 2019 graduate of Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine program, and is a current MBA candidate at the University of Maine.
Joel Schwartz is founder and co-CEO of DoubleCheck Solutions.
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.