Tax Collections Inch Up

Sales tax collections totaled $1.57 billion in the month of September, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said last week, which represents an increase of almost 7% from September 2009.

“This increase is significantly larger than recent monthly gains, which have been in the 0 to 2% range,” according to the Republican comptroller.

“Sales tax increases were posted across almost all sectors including oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, and restaurants,” she added.

The state will distribute $443.5 million of the sales tax revenue to local ­governments.

Local sales tax allocations are up 6% from September 2009 but down 1.3% on a calendar-year basis.

Cities in Texas will receive $300.1 million, an increase of 6.1% from last ­September.

Total city sales tax allocations are down 1% in the first 10 months of 2010 from the same period last year.

Houston will receive the largest single monthly disbursement, totaling $37.1 million from $34.8 million last year. So far in 2010,

Houston’s sales tax allocations total $392.8 million, which is down slightly from $410.6 million in the same period of 2009.

San Antonio will receive $16.1 ­million.

The city of Dallas will receive $15.8 million, and $10.8 million will go to ­Austin.

The state will distribute $26.9 million in September collections to counties with a dedicated sales tax, up 5.6% from last year.

However, county allocations are down 3.8% on a calendar-year basis.

Ten transit districts in the state will receive $97.6 million in sales tax allocations.

The 167 special-purpose taxing districts will receive $18.7 million.

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