Jan 15 -- The Census Bureau invites public comment on its proposed revision of data collections for the Quarterly Summary of State & Local Government Tax Revenues. Comments are due by March 16, 2021.
The Census Bureau conducts the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue (QTAX), using the F-71 (Quarterly Survey of Property Tax Collections), F-72 (Quarterly Survey of State Tax Collections), and F-73 (Quarterly Survey of Non-Property Taxes) forms. The QTAX provides quarterly estimates of state and local government tax revenue at the national level, as well as detailed tax revenue data for individual states. The information contained in this survey is the most current information available on a nationwide basis for state and local government tax collections.
The Census Bureau needs state and local tax data to publish benchmark statistics on taxes, to provide data to the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations and other economic indicators, and to provide data for economic research and comparative studies of governmental finances. Tax collection data are used to measure economic activity for the Nation as a whole, as well as for comparison among the various states. Economists and public policy analysts use the data to assess general economic conditions and state and local government financial activities.
The Census Bureau plans to revise the F-72 (Quarterly Survey of State Tax Collections). We plan to add the collection of cannabis and sports betting sales taxes. Sports betting will include pari-mutuels, which were previously shown separately. This will modernize the survey's content to maintain the relevancy and sustainability of these data. License taxes will no longer be collected on a quarterly basis; they will continue to be provided on an annual basis through the related Annual Survey of State Tax Collections, reducing duplication of effort. Additionally, cognitive testing showed the addition and removal of questions did not impact overall response time.
QTAX webpage:
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/qtax.html
FR notice inviting comment:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2021-00872/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for
