Spending generally reflects the State’s program priorities. Comparing spending to revenue provides an indication of the State’s ability to support continuing programs. State spending, which includes spending from federal funds, is recorded on a cash basis.

See Appendices 1 and 2 for a breakdown of State spending by major service function and funding source for the past five years.

Revenues are affected by economic changes as well as changes in federal and State policies. Tax base is a measure of the State’s ability to generate revenue. A decreasing tax base may force spending reductions, increased taxes, or both. Receipts are revenues that have been recorded on a cash basis.

See Appendix 3 for a breakdown of State receipts by major source for the past five State fiscal years.

Fund financial statements provide a short-term view of finances. As such, these statements only focus on the inflows and outflows of current financial resources—cash or liquid assets that are available to pay current obligations (or will be soon).

Funds represent sources of funding and spending for particular purposes.

Government-wide financial statements provide a long-term view of finances. They record revenues and expenses when the earnings process is complete (full accrual basis), as opposed to when they are actually received or paid (cash basis).

Each statement breaks down the activities of State government into two types:

Message from the Comptroller

The 2019-20 fiscal year brought the convergence of two dramatically different periods to New York State. The nation’s longest recorded economic expansion continued to generate overall job growth through most of the fiscal year before finally ending in February, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced severe limits on business activity and significantly impacted the State’s economy. The transition to a new fiscal year then brought the loss of more than 1.9 million jobs in New York, with more widespread economic uncertainty than we have seen in decades.