Third quarter 2009 (2009:3) tax revenue for state and local governments, as compared with third quarter 2008 (2008:3), was down 6.7 percent, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of negative growth. Tax revenue for the quarter totaled $266.5 billion compared with $285.6 billion reported for third quarter 2008.

Of the four largest tax categories only property tax increased; general sales tax, individual income tax, and corporate income tax all continued to decline in the third quarter of 2009.