As budget writers prepare for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget development process, they continue to closely monitor FY 2026 revenue collections and the myriad factors—stemming from both state and federal action—that impact the stability of the state budget.

The federal government spends more than $6 trillion each year through its annual budget. The federal budget process shares some similarities with the state, but it also differs in many ways.

This resource provides a basic outline of that process and how it might affect Massachusetts.
Important Basics:

Policy Conversation and Tax Thought Leadership Meeting, featuring Secretary Paley. The event will provide an overview of tax/competitiveness issues in the Commonwealth, along with comments and conversation from our guests.

Massachusetts is facing scrutiny on two fronts as public markets collapse and pressure on government pensions for its nearly 300,000 public employees and retirees and budgets rise. The commonwealth’s credit rating could take the real hit in all of this. The Boston Globe reports “the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said a prolonged market slump could make it tougher for the state to reach its goal of fully funding its pension obligations by 2037. If the state falls short, bond rating agencies such as S&P and Moody’s will pay attention.”