Local sales taxes surge in February

Local sales tax revenues posted strong gains this month bolstered by Christmas sales.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar distributed $45,914.54 to the City of Clarendon for its February allocation, a 15.57 percent increase over the same period in 2019. The city’s calendar year-to-date figure is now 6.06 percent ahead at $75,435.35.

Hedley was up 40.07 percent at $1,479.97 for February and up 38.58 percent for the year-to-date at $1,974.52.
Howardwick’s allocation of $1,607.54 was a 31.37 percent gain, bringing that city’s year-to-date total up 31.37 percent at $2,916.96.

Statewide, Hegar distributed $1.04 billion in local sales tax allocations for February, 9.4 percent more than in February 2019.

These allocations are based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly; October, November and December sales by quarterly filers; and 2019 sales by businesses that report tax annually.

Christmas shopping that typically occurs in November was shifted into December due to the relatively late date of Thanksgiving 2019, helping make this month’s allocations substantially higher than in previous months, a trend that is not expected to continue.