Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/SonyaHoo

States and their local governments vary both in their needs to provide basic public services, and in their abilities to raise revenues to pay for those services. This study summarizes the Representative Revenue System (RRS) and the Representative Expenditure System (RES) frameworks and quantifies these disparities across states by comparing each state's revenue capacity, revenue effort, and necessary expenditures to the average capacity, effort, and need in states across the country.

States and their local governments vary both in their needs to provide basic public services, and in their abilities to raise revenues to pay for those services. This study uses the Representative Revenue System (RRS) and the Representative Expenditure System (RES) frameworks to quantify these disparities across states by comparing each state's revenue capacity, revenue effort, and necessary expenditures to the average capacity, effort, and need in states across the country.

States and their local governments vary both in their needs to provide basic public services, and in their abilities to raise revenues to pay for those services. A forthcoming joint study by the Tax Policy Center and the New England Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, uses the Representative Revenue System (RRS) and the Representative Expenditure System (RES) frameworks to quantify these disparities across states by comparing each state’s revenue capacity, revenue effort, and necessary expenditures to the average capacity, effort, and need in states across the country.

The Economic Growth and Taxpayer Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) phased out the state death tax credit from 2002 to 2004, eliminating it completely for 2005. Prior to EGTRRA, almost all states collected a "pick-up" tax that was equivalent to the federal credit. In 2000, estate and inheritance tax revenues averaged 1.43 percent of states' total tax receipts. By 2005, the average fell to 0.7 percent.

The United States raises less tax revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) than most other countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2003, taxes in the United States, including all levels of government, amounted to 25.6 percent of GDP, compared with 33.9 percent for other countries in the Group of 7 (G7) and 34.7 percent for non-G7 OECD countries. The United States raises more personal income tax and property tax as a share of GDP than other OECD countries, but less corporate income tax, Social Security contributions, and taxes on goods and services.

School districts in 37 states are "independent" and able to generate their own revenues, usually by setting property tax rates. Some school districts in other states are dependent on cities, towns or counties for funding authority. In addition, school districts have increasingly been dependent on state aid for funding.

Rising house prices have led to increasing property taxes and to calls for property tax reform. However, it is important to realize that many state and local governments currently offer property tax relief programs. We examine the property tax relief programs offered through state income tax systems.

While U.S. gasoline prices were indeed at a historical high after Katrina, they are both declining and much lower than gas prices in other countries.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina there have been proposals both to cap gasoline prices (e.g. Hawaii) or to suspend the collection of state or federal gas taxes (e.g. Georgia) as a response to rising gas prices. Although retail gasoline prices have reached an all-time high, gasoline taxes are not to blame. Gasoline taxes (both federal and state) average 43 cents per gallon and have fallen in real terms. Gasoline prices and taxes do vary across regions but there is little correlation between tax rates and prices.

Although retail gasoline prices have reached an all-time high, gasoline taxes are not to blame. Gasoline taxes (both federal and state) average 43 cents per gallon and have fallen in real terms. Gasoline prices and taxes do vary across regions but there is little correlation between tax rates and prices.

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