The Business Tax Return Statistics Database: A Goldmine for Understanding the U.S. Economy and Informing Policymakers.

BTOS, or the Business Tax Return Statistics (BTRS), is a comprehensive database that represents all employer businesses in the United States economy, except for farms. This data is valuable as it provides continuous and timely information on key economic measures every two weeks. It includes detailed information at the geographical and subsector levels, allowing for a thorough understanding of events such as natural disasters and economic crises, and monitoring recovery efforts.

The BTOS sample consists of approximately 1.2 million businesses that are surveyed biweekly. These businesses are divided into six panels, each consisting of around 200,000 cases. Businesses in these panels are asked to report every 12 weeks for a year. It is estimated that the average respondent takes about nine minutes to complete the survey, including time for reading the instructions and providing answers.

This data will be released biweekly and will be available by sector, state, and the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. It is crucial for local, state, and federal officials as it provides real-time data for policymaking and decision-making. Additionally, businesses can utilize this data to make informed economic decisions.