BRADENTON, Fla. - Georgia saw state revenues climb during the first six months of the fiscal year, according to Gov. Nathan Deal.
Revenues collected in December increased $158 million, or 9%, from December 2013, Deal said Jan. 7.
It was the sixth straight month that the Peach state enjoyed increasing revenues, state records show.
Year-to-date, net tax collections totaled $9.61 billion, an increase of nearly $517 million or 5.7% compared to the first six months of the previous year when net tax revenues totaled $9.09 billion.
The state ended fiscal 2014 with net tax revenue collections of nearly $17.9 billion, a year-over-year increase of $879 million or 5.2%.
"More than five years after the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, states' financial conditions are improving," the Pew Charitable Trust said in December. "But most states have yet to return to pre-recession performance on some key measures of fiscal health."
By the second quarter of fiscal 2014, Georgia's revenues were still down 12.8% from peak collections in the second quarter of 2007, the trust said.
Factors that led to positive results in December included individual income tax collections, which totaled $1.09 billion for an increase of 13.4% or $128.5 million compared to December 2013.
Gross sales tax collections for December increased $41.5 million or 5.2% compared to the same month in 2013.
Corporate income tax collections increased $33.85 million or 22.1% in December over collections the prior year.
Deal was elected to his second term in November, and was scheduled to be sworn into office Jan. 12 - the first day of the Georgia General Assembly's annual session.
