This information may not be as relevant now as it was at during the legislative session, but it's interesting, and it serves the purpose of correcting one of the many misperceptions surrounding the budget debate during the Montana legislature.  That misperception is that Montana's revenue surplus is much the result of the oil and gas activity in eastern Montana.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Report for the 2009 Biennium, released last week by the Legislative Fiscal Division, only 12.7% of the general fund increase from 2007 to 2009 was due to natural resource taxes.  Individual income taxes were by far the biggest reason for the revenue surge in Montana, accounting for 44.2% of the increase.  If you include corporate income taxes and property taxes with individual income taxes, you account for 68.1% of that increase.

Of course, the jobs produced by oil and gas activity have an impact on individual income taxes, as well as property and corporate income taxes.  However, the misperception that Montana's coffers are overflowing as a result of the taxes placed on production are just plain wrong.

Consider that next time you're considering whether Montana taxpayers deserve a break.