EBR Sale Taxes Stay Stable

East Baton Rouge Parish’s revenue from a 2% sales tax for general operations continues to be relatively stable. The latest report shows that revenue for the first five months of the year are down 1.8% from 2008 collections.

May sales tax revenues totaled $13.2 million, down 7.7% from the $14.3 million collected in May 2008.

City-Parish finance director Marsha Hanlon said 2008 numbers were inflated due to the impact of taxes paid on start-up equipment and expansion expenses by several manufacturing firms under an enterprise zone program. Without those remittances, she said, collections so far in 2009 would actually be up by 1.4%.

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