The Fiscal Survey Of States

This document presents aggregate and individual data on the states' general fund receipts, expenditures, and balances. Findings, focusing on the period from fiscal 1993 to fiscal 1995, are based on a survey completed by Governors' state budget officers throughout the 50 United States and Puerto Rico. Six chapters, following the preface and executive summary, present data on the nation's economic background, state expenditure developments, state revenue developments, year-end balances, regional fiscal outlooks, and strategic directions of the states. Key findings include the following: (1) states limited their general fund budget growth to 5 percent in fiscal 1994 and estimate budget growth at 4.9 percent for fiscal year 1995; (2) changes in net taxes and fees are expected to decrease fiscal 1995 revenues by $2.6 billion; (3) states' fiscal 1995 budgets include an increase of 5.6 percent over fiscal 1994 tax collections; (4) year-end balances for fiscal year 1993 through fiscal year 1995 range from 3.5 percent to 4.3 percent and are well above the 1.1 percent year-end balance that occurred in fiscal year 1991; (5) the continuation of more stable economic growth nationwide has narrowed the gap among regions, though states in the Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, and Southwest regions experience the most rapid economic growth; and (6) states are moving aggressively to restructure services, ranging from rethinking welfare programs, establishing performance-based budgeting, to merging state functions. Ten tables, 4 figures, and 13 appendix tables are included. (LMI)

"From adjusted gross income to zoning and property taxes, the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Taxation and Tax Policy offers the best and most complete guide to taxes and tax-related issues. More than 150 tax practitioners and administrators, policymakers, and academics have contributed. The result is a unique and authoritative reference that examines virtually all tax instruments used by governments (individual income, corporate income, sales and value-added, property, estate and gift, franchise, poll, and many variants of these taxes), as well as characteristics of a good tax system, budgetary issues, and many current federal, state, local, and international tax policy issues. The new edition has been completely revised, with 40 new topics and 200 articles reflecting six years of legislative changes. Each essay provides the generalist with a quick and reliable introduction to many topics but also gives tax specialists the benefit of other experts' best thinking, in a manner that makes the complex understandable. Reference lists point the reader to additional sources of information for each topic. The first edition of The Encyclopedia of Taxation and Tax Policy was selected as an Outstanding Academic Book of the Year (1999) by Choice magazine."--Publisher's website.

Contains analyses that are designed to highlight specified subject areas or provide other significant presentations of budget data that place the budget in perspective. This volume includes economic and accounting analyses; information on Federal receipts and collections; analyses of Federal spending; detailed information on Federal borrowing and debt; baseline or current services estimates; and other technical presentations.