(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reports that state sales tax revenue totaled $3.23 billion this year in February, 28.6 % more than in February 2021; however, after adjusting last year’s February totals to account for sales tax returns not collected until March 1, 2021, due to Winter Storm Uri, February 2022 sales tax revenue was up 20.5% over comparable collections last year.
The majority of February sales tax revenue is based on sales made in January and remitted to the agency in February.
Comptroller Hegar also reported: “Some jurisdictions may have changed tax rates in the preceding 14 months, thus affecting the comparisons.” The five Lamb County cities
The five Lamb County cities received a combined total of $174,986.68 for this period, which is $25,871.28 more than the $149,115.40 they received at this time in 2021.
The City of Amherst’s tax rate is 1.250%, and it received $1,921.19 for February, which is 9.73% more than the $1,750.70 it received last February. Amherst’s payments this year to date are a total of $7,063.10, which is compared to the $6,711.51 it had at this time in 2021—that’s a 5.23% increase.
The City of Earth’s return this year was $6,877.46, (a -0.15% decrease) from last year’s return of $6,887.80. So far, Earth has received a total of $25,303.84, a 6.47% increase more than the $23,765.05 it had by this time in 2021. Earth’s tax rate is 1.500%.
Littlefield’s tax rate is 2.000, and its return for this period was $111,495.62, (a -281% decrease) from last year’s return of $114,719.64. Littlefield’s total for the year amounts to $370,636.46, which is a 7.03% increase from the $346,264.04 it had received in 2021. Half of the $111,495.62 Littlefield received (or $55,747.81) is for the City of Littlefield, while the other half is divided ($27,873.905 each) for the city’s two Economic Development Corporations.
The City of Olton received its sales tax retur of $19,336.09, which is a 23.88% increase from last year’s return of $15,607.91. For the year to date, Olton has received a total of $67,034.80, a 21.32% increase from last year’s $55,253.13. (Olton’s tax rate is 2.000%.)
The City of Sudan’s sales tax rate is 2.000%, and the return for this period was $35,356.32, a huge 248.36% increase from last year’s return of $10,149.35. So far this year, Sudan has received a total of $91,393.28, which is a 136.45% increase from last year’s total of $38,652.10 at this time.
Over in Hockley County, the City of Anton’s sales tax rate is 2.000%, and Anton received $6,375.37 of its sales tax returned. That is a giant 142.32% increase from the $2,630.95 it received last year for the same period. For the year, Anton has received a return of $22,401.88 of its sales taxes, which is compared with the $9,149.55 it got last year. That’s a giant increase of 144.84%.
“State sales tax collections continued to surge and reached an alltime February high, with receipts from all major economic sectors coming in well above year-ago levels,” Hegar said. “Business and consumer spending remain robust, with receipts from most sectors having strongly surpassed prepandemic levels.
“The strongest growth was in receipts from sectors driven by business spending, with the largest increase in receipts from the oil and gas mining sector, although receipts in that sector remain below pre-pandemic levels. Receipts from the construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade sectors continued to exhibit double-digit growth from a year ago.
“In the retail-trade sector, double-digit growth continued in receipts from home improvement and electronic shopping, segments that have been boosted by pandemic spending patterns.
“Receipts from restaurants, a sector still depressed a year ago, continued to see double-digit gains compared to last year and are well above pre-pandemic levels. Sharp increases were also evident in receipts from entertainment venues and ticket vendors, as people return to sporting, music and other live entertainment events.”
Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in February 2022, after adjusting for March 1, 2021, activity, was up 23.5%, compared to the same period a year ago. Sales tax is the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 59% of all tax collections.
Texas collected the following revenue from other major taxes, some of which also were affected by the returns delayed to March 1, due to Winter Storm Uri:
Motor vehicle sales and rental taxes — $475 million, up 28% from February 2021;
Motor fuel taxes — $301 million, up 5% from February 2021;
Oil production tax — $484 million, up 67% from February 2021;
Natural gas production tax — $319 million, up 182% from February 2021;
Hotel occupancy tax — $42 million, up 70% from February 2021, but after accounting for March 1, 2021, activity, total collections were up 56% from February 2021; and
Alcoholic beverage taxes — $115 million, up 65% from February 2021, but after accounting for March 1, 2021, activity, total collections were up 37% from February 2021.
For details on all monthly collections, visit the Comptroller’s Monthly State Revenue Watch. For an extensive history of tax policy developments and fees since 1972, visit the updated Sources of Revenue publication.