The Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) provides data on the amount of domestic business expenditures for new and used plant and equipment purchased during the survey year. The data are critical to evaluate productivity growth, the ability of U.S. business to compete with foreign business, changes in industrial capacity, and measures of overall economic performance.

The government collects relevant and timely information about the nature and level of capital expenditures in the U.S. This information is an important component in the overall assessment of our Nation’s productivity.

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Yes, response is required by law. Title 13 United States Code, Sections 131 and 182, authorizes this collection. Sections 224 and 225 require businesses to respond. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to keep the information confidential and can use responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release the responses in a way that could identify a business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit the data.

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The Census Bureau takes its commitment to confidentiality very seriously. The U.S. Census Bureau constantly pursues new procedures, technologies, and methodologies to safeguard individual data. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release a respondent’s information in a way that could identify a business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Act of 2015, submitted data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit the data.

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• Industry analysts use the data for market analysis, economic forecasting, identifying business opportunities, and developing new and strategic plans. 
• The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the data to refine annual estimates of investment in structures and equipment in the national income and product accounts, and to improve estimates of capital stocks. 
• The Federal Reserve Board uses the data to improve estimates of investment indicators for monetary policy. 
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the data to improve estimates of capital stocks for productivity analysis. 
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use the data for monitoring and evaluating healthcare industries. 
• The Department of the Treasury uses the data to analyze depreciation. 
• Private companies, organizations, educators and students, and economic researchers use the survey results for analyzing and conducting impact evaluations on past and current economic performance, short-term economic forecasts, productivity, long-term economic growth, tax policy, capacity utilization, business fixed capital stocks and capital formation, domestic and international competitiveness trade policy, market research, and financial analysis.

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The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by the federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. For additional information, please see the Census Bureau’s NAICS page.

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• Forestry, fishing, and agricultural services, (Sectors 113 – 115)
• Mining (Sector 21)
• Utilities (Sector 22)
• Construction (Sector 23)
• Manufacturing (Sectors 31 – 33)
• Wholesale trade (Sector 42)
• Retail trade (Sectors 44 and 45)
• Transportation & warehousing (Sectors 48 and 49)
• Information (Sector 51)
• Finance and insurance (Sector 52)
• Real estate and rental and leasing (Sector 53)
• Professional, scientific, and technical services (Sector 54)
• Management of companies and enterprises (Sector 55)
• Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (Sector 56)
• Educational services (Sector 61)
• Health care and social assistance (Sector 62)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation (Sector 71)
• Accommodation and food services (Sector 72)
• Other services (except public administration) (Sector 81)

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Capital expenditures include all expenditures during the year for both new and used structures (excluding land) and equipment chargeable to asset accounts for which depreciation amortization accounts are ordinarily maintained.

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Examples of structures include new and/or used offices, buildings, and residential real estate purchased or built for business use. Include major additions and improvements to such business structures as new structures.  Exclude the cost of land, but include the cost of improvements such as parking lots.

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Examples of equipment include machinery, furniture, fixtures, computers, computer software, website development, and transportation equipment used in the production and distribution of goods and services or in office functions.

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If your company leased new structures and/or equipment and the lease is capitalized by your company, report the cost or present value of the structures and equipment acquired in the survey year. Exclude payments for operating leases and capitalized costs of leasehold improvements. Capital leases presume a sale and purchase of an asset, and are defined by the criteria in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Number 13.

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Capitalized computer software expenditures should consist of the cost of materials and services directly related to the development or acquisition of software; payroll and payroll related costs for employees directly associated with software development; and interest costs incurred while developing the software. Capitalized computer software is defined by the criteria in Statement of Position 98-1, Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use, issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Robotic equipment (or robots) are automatically controlled and reprogrammable machines capable of performing a series of complex tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously. Exclude the cost of software purchased separately to enhance or upgrade existing robotic equipment.  Report separately purchased software in the capitalized software section.

Industrial robots are automatically controlled, reprogrammable, and multipurpose machines used in industrial automated operations. They may be mobile, incorporated into stand-alone stations, or integrated into a production line.  

Service robots perform tasks for humans for personal or professional use, not in an industrial or warehouse setting. 

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Estimates are acceptable. However, if you are unable to report the capital expenditures for some or all of the robotic equipment the company purchased, please leave the value box blank and explain in the remarks section of the question and include the type(s) of robotic equipment the company purchased.

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Estimates are acceptable. However, if you are unable to report the capital expenditures for some or all of the robotic equipment by industry that the company purchased, please leave the value box blank and explain in the remarks section of the question.

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Annual Capital Expenditure Survey estimates are published no later than 12 to 14 months after the reference year has concluded. For example, estimates for the 2021 reference year were released on December 15, 2022.  The results are available on the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey page.

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Historical data are available beginning with 1994. The data include estimates at the national level on capitalized expenditures for new and used structures and equipment by U.S. nonfarm businesses with and without employees. Data are also published by industry for companies with employees for 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 3-digit and selected 4-digit industries. Supplemental data by types of structures and types of equipment are available for companies with employees beginning in 1998 and every five years thereafter, for years ending in "3" and "8". In 2010, it was decided that this detailed data should be collected for years ending in “2” and “7” beginning in 2012, to align with the years in which the Economic Census is conducted.

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All domestic, private, non-farm businesses, including agricultural non-farm and nonemployer businesses are eligible for selection for the survey, including but not limited to:

• Self-employed persons (e.g., doctors, lawyers, investors, accountants)
• Small employer companies
• Independent contractors (truckers, private duty nurses, construction contractors
• Independent salespersons (e.g., cosmetic representatives)
• Independent commission workers (e.g., real estate and life insurance salespersons)
• Normally, large companies will be selected in the sample every year, and smaller companies will be selected less frequently. In order to develop statististically reliable estimates representing the U.S. economy, it is important that you respond to this survey.

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The size of the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey sample is approximately 50,000 businesses with 1 or more paid employees and 20,000 businesses with no paid employees.

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Yes. In order to produce investment statistics representative of the entire economy, we sample all non-farm businesses, organizations, and associations across all sectors of the US economy regardless of their tax status. Reasonable estimates are acceptable.

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Taken together, small businesses have a real impact on the economy. Your firm or EIN was chosen from a scientifically selected sample of businesses and represents many other small businesses like yours. Reasonable estimates are acceptable.

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