Tax collections by state governments grew 8.1 percent, to $593 billion, in fiscal year 2004 — a $44 billion increase from 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau said today. All 50 states experienced an increase.

     According to data from the 2004 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, general sales taxes were up 7.5 percent to $198 billion, and taxes on individual income were up 8.5 percent to $197 billion. These taxes made up more than two-thirds of all state tax collections.

     Among other major taxes, documentary and stock transfer taxes increased 26 percent, followed by severance taxes (18 percent) and occupational and business license taxes (16 percent).

     Nationally, per capita taxes collected by states averaged $2,024. Among individual states, per capita taxes were highest in Hawaii, $3,048; Wyoming, $2,968; Connecticut, $2,937; Minnesota, $2,889; and Delaware, $2,862. The lowest per capita tax collections were in Texas, $1,367; South Dakota, $1,378; Colorado, $1,533; New Hampshire, $1,543; and Alabama, $1,549.

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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. For information, visit the Census Bureau’s Web site at: <http://www.census.gov/govs/www/index.html>.