Visualization: Tax collections by the states

An interactive visualization of tax collections by state governments.

Each year the United States Census Bureau collects data from the states regarding tax collections in various categories. ⁽¹⁾United States Census Bureau. Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). Available at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/stc.html. I present this data in an interactive visualization.

The values are for tax collections by the state only, not local governmental entities like cities, counties, townships, improvement districts, cemetery districts, library districts, drainage districts, watershed districts, and school districts.

Of note: Sometimes changes made by states may not align with this data. A possible reason is that for most states this data is reported for the fiscal year, while many changes to tax law affect the calendar year. [⁽²⁾“The tax revenue data pertain to state fiscal years that end on June 30, 2017 in all but four states (NY, TX, AL, MI). Amounts shown for these four states reflect the different timing of their respective fiscal years, which were the 12-month periods ending on March 31, 2017 for New York, August 31, 2017 for Texas, and September 30, 2017 for Alabama and Michigan.” United States Census Bureau. State Government Tax Collections: 2017 Technical Documentation. Available at https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/stc/technical-documentation/complete-technical-documentation/statetaxtechdoc2017.pdf.

By using the tabbed views, you can compare tax collections in different states. Of particular interest is the “Total by State” tab. Here you can select a number of states and compare their tax burdens. (Probably three or four states at a time is the practical limit.) This data is presented on a per-person basis.

Data is as collected from the United States Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, and not adjusted for inflation. Some data is presented as the difference from the national value.

Visualization created using Tableau Public.

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