New Jersey’s August 2025 tax revenue numbers should be setting off alarm bells in Trenton. While some may dismiss weak early year returns as insignificant, the scale of the decline in business taxes cannot be ignored. These numbers are not just a statistical blip —they are a warning sign that the state’s economic engine is stalling, and that business growth must become a central priority for policymakers.
The Corporation Business Tax, New Jersey’s second-largest general fund revenue source, collapsed in August 2025. Collections came in at negative $38 million, a staggering 258.6% drop from August 2024.
The Business Alternative Income Tax also fell sharply, from $20.9 million in August 2024 to $16.1 million in August 2025, a 23.1% decline.
Taken together, these two business taxes — which form the backbone of the state’s revenue base — are down 282% year-over-year for August.
In the current fiscal year, which began in July, the picture is equally troubling. Through the first two months of FY 2026, the CBT has fallen 54.8%, from $241.4 million last year to just $109 million this year. The BAIT is off 36% year-to-date. Combined, these business taxes have cratered 91% compared with the same period in FY 2025.
Contrast this with broader revenue growth: Total major revenues in the overall state budget are up just 1.3% year-to-date, compared with a far healthier 8.3% increase at this point last year. That comparison underscores how dramatically business tax revenues are weighing down the state’s overall fiscal position.
Some officials have argued that early months are less meaningful because September typically delivers larger collections. But this explanation rings hollow when considering that CBT and BAIT actually improved from 2023 to 2024 in the same reporting window —instead of plummeting as they did this year. This trend is not “normal volatility” but a sharp reversal.
The fiscal and economic implications are clear. If New Jersey’s business tax base continues to erode, future budgets will face growing pressure, forcing tough choices on spending, borrowing, or further tax increases that could worsen competitiveness. State leaders must view this not as an anomaly but as a call to action.
New Jersey’s economy and business climate must be the top focus for today’s and tomorrow’s policymakers. Without sustained business growth, the state’s fiscal foundation is at risk. The warning signs are flashing now — and ignoring them could prove costly.
Tom Bracken, a veteran of the banking industry, is the CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
