State tax collections in Iowa were down dramatically in April, by almost 19 percent. Jeff Robinson of the Legislative Services Agency says since April ended on a weekend, that decline is exaggerated a bit, but state tax receipts are still lagging below expectations.

Overall state tax collections for the past 10 months are running one-point-two percent ahead of the same period a year ago. It’s about 70 million dollars LESS than the experts had predicted.

 

Iowans paid 148-million dollars in state income tax in February, March and April as they submitted their returns. That’s the lowest amount of income taxes paid during that period since 2007. More than 40 percent of income tax returns will be paid and processed in May, however. Robinson says that means the state’s tax revenue picture might improve this month.