The Census Bureau will continue work toward improving the response rate for the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) and will provide a report on the efforts they have undertaken and their effects when it submits its next QFR ICR.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
10/31/2021
36 Months From Approved
11/30/2018
49,004
0
50,296
107,462
0
115,111
0
0
0
The QFR is the best source of timely financial data for gauging quarterly performance of the non-regulated, domestic corporate sector. Users include: Commerce Department (Gross Domestic Product), Federal Reserve Board (Flow of Funds), The Bureau of Land Management, and the Council of Economic Advisers. The data are collected from a sample of manufacturing, mining, trade, and selected service corporations.
The current OMB burden estimate is 115,111 hours. When the QFR was submitted in 2015, the burden estimate was 101,258 hours due to ceasing the collection of additional service sector corporations. However, due to an error, the burden estimate was not actually reduced to 101,258 hours when QFR was approved. Therefore, a downward adjustment of 13,853 is necessary to bring the burden to a base of 101,258 hours. From that base, we are now adjusting the burden upward by 6,204 hours to bring the new burden to 107,462 hours annually. The upward adjustment is due to an increase in the number of active corporations (a universe change).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.