Tax collections by state governments grew 2.4 percent to $547 billion in fiscal year 2003 — a $13 billion increase from 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau said today.

     According to data from the 2003 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, general sales taxes were up 2.8 percent to $185 billion and taxes on individual income declined overall by 1.5 percent to $182 billion. These taxes made up more than two-thirds of all state tax collections.

     Among other major taxes, levies on tobacco products increased the most (29 percent), followed by severance taxes (24 percent) and documentary and stock transfer taxes (23 percent). Increased tobacco tax collections reflected rate increases that took effect in many states. Severance taxes were imposed on nonrenewable natural resources such as oil, gas and coal in 35 states. Severance taxes constituted about 1 percent of all state taxes, but were significant revenue producers in states such as Alaska.

     Nationally, per capita taxes collected by states amounted to $1,884. Among individual states, per capita taxes were highest in Hawaii, $2,838; Connecticut, $2,730; Minnesota, $2,649; Delaware, $2,602; and Vermont, $2,518. The lowest per capita tax collections were in Alabama, $1,426; South Dakota, $1,322; and Texas, $1,316.

     The data used in the tabulations came from state government records. These are state government taxes only and do not include local government taxes. As such, they are not subject to sampling error. Although quality assurance methods were applied to all phases of data collection and processing, the data are subject to nonsampling error, including errors of response and miscoding.

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