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.
As director of account anagement, Jill Dobbe builds strong relationships with Orgvue clients, guiding them to enhance their organizational planning capabilities through technological solutions. With more than two decades of expertise in strategic planning, human resources, and organizational development—including extensive experience supporting Fortune 100-500 organizations and serving within John Deere and a non-profit healthcare system—Jill is dedicated to empowering organizations to define and achieve their future strategies. Her comprehensive background encompasses successful leadership of initiatives in strategic workforce planning, analytics, organizational design, transformation, and change management across diverse industries and global environments.
TuongVy "Vy" Le is general counsel of Veda Tech Labs, which builds institutional-grade, noncustodial vault infrastructure for digital asset markets. Previously, she served as the general counsel of a federally regulated crypto bank, head of regulatory and policy at a registered investment advisor, and chief counsel of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs and senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC.
David Dienesch is the CEO of Allianz Trade in Canada and has served in this role for nearly 11 years, helping companies grow domestically and internationally. Prior to this role, he served in multiple leadership positions at Allianz Trade in Canada, such as Commercial Director, National Sales Director, and Vice President.
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.