From 2012 To 2013 North Dakota Had The Largest Increase In Government Tax Collections In The Nation

Above is an interesting map posted to Twitter today by the North Dakota Association of Counties. It shows the rate of change in state government tax collections from 2012 to 2013.

As you can see, North Dakota lead the way with a 27.8 percent increase in revenues, significantly more than second place California at 15.6 percent.

Maybe not surprising when you consider that in 2013, according to the Office of the State Tax Commissioner, more than 50 percent of the revenues collected in the state in calendar year 2013 were from taxes on oil development.

Keep in mind that happened even as North Dakota has cut income taxes. Personal and income tax rates have been cut every legislative session since 2009, and are now sitting at about half of what they were then.

Even in the current biennium, revenues continue to soar. Through April of this year, according to the latest numbers from the Office of Management and Budget, the state has collected 19.7 percent more in general fund revenues than the previous biennium to date.

State leaders also tout property tax relief, but in terms of state revenue that doesn’t really count as the state has been buying down property taxes levied by local governments. Thus, the “property tax relief” passed by the state is really just additional spending done by the state at the local level.