Comptroller

The Comptroller's office serves every citizen in the state. The Comptroller is responsible for many highly technical and critical duties that impacts business owners and individuals all over Texas. The comptroller is the state's chief financial officer. Other important job duties include serving as the chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator, treasurer, purchasing manager and checkbook manager for the multi-billion-dollar business of state government. Now let's see some of these duties in more detail.

1. Accountant- The Comptroller is state government's primary accountant, responsible for writing the state's checks and monitoring all spending by state agencies. As the chief accountant, the Comptroller is responsible to ensure the state's financial statements and other reporting requirements are done in accordance with professional accounting principles, rules, and policy.

2. Tax Collector- As the state's chief tax collector, the Comptroller is responsible for collecting more than 60 separate taxes, fees and assessments, including local sales taxes on behalf of more than 1,400 cities, counties and other local governments. This responsibility includes maintaining taxpayer accounts, processing tax payment exceptions, preparing adjustments, and paying all unclaimed property claims. In addition, the Comptroller's Enforcement Division is responsible for auditing and collecting unpaid taxes owed by businesses.

3. Revenue Estimator- The Comptroller's office is responsible for reporting the state's financial condition to the Legislature annually and providing estimates of revenue for future years. Revenue Estimating monitors and reports on the condition of the state’s economy, assists Fiscal Management and Treasury with projecting the state's cash flow position and produces fiscal analyses of legislation, administrative rules and other proposals affecting state revenue.

4. Financial Officer- As guardian of the state's fiscal affairs, agencies depend on the Comptroller's office to pay their bills and issue paychecks to state employees. Legislators rely on the Comptroller to chart the course of the economy, produce annual financial reports and estimate future state revenues. Local officials and businesses look to the agency for economic development guidance and data analysis. Taxpayers rely upon the agency for assistance and guidance regarding compliance with tax laws. Strict accountability in the collection and expenditure of taxpayer dollars is essential. More importantly, residents depend on the Comptroller's office to account for, manage, and safeguard their tax dollars to ensure they are spent wisely and efficiently.

5. Economic Development- The work of the Comptroller's office does not end there. Turning around and growing Texas' economy is vitally important to the prosperity and quality of life of all in the state. By assisting communities and businesses in their efforts to create new jobs and improve the standard of living, the Comptroller's office is responsible for creating an environment in which a healthy economy can flourish. The agency provides services to business owners, business taxpayers, local officials, Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) and everyday citizens. From online tax data and payment systems to Web pages that track how state government spends taxpayer dollars, the Comptroller's office provides vital information and data.