Sales tax receipts down in Dec. ‘16

By Rupert Howell
Sales tax collections in December in Batesville show a five percent decrease from December 2015 according to Mississippi Department of Revenue which also recorded a statewide decrease of one percent.
The City of Batesville received $427,842 as its share (approximately 18 percent of the total collected) of the seven cent sales tax on retail purchases. Batesville’s year-to-date receipts of sales tax revenue is up two percent for the state’s fiscal year which began July 1, totaling $2,651,532 put into the city’s coffers, according to figures of the Department of Revenue.
A decrease in Batesville’s Tourism and Economic Development tax, a three percent local tax on prepared food and lodging, recorded the city receiving $94,339 in December collections, down from $103,755 collected in December 2015. Year-to-date figures for that tax are down three percent compared to the same dates in 2016. The city has received $696,428 since July.
The Town of Sardis recorded a decrease in sales tax but an increase in it’s special tax on food and lodging. Sales tax collections in December  were down nine percent with the town receiving $26,640. Year-to-date sales tax collections are down 12 percent with town receiving $178,160.
On the bright side, the Special Tax was up nine percent with the town receiving $8,711 for December sales, putting the year-to-date total up 11 percent at $65,539.
The Town of Como recorded increases in both sales and special tax collections with sales tax receipts up nine percent over the previous December at $14,193 and year-to-date totals up 17 percent at $107,303.
Como’s special tax on food and lodging showed a modest increase of one percent for December sales compared to the previous December with $6,716 collected, but a year-to-date decrease indicates one percent less collected than at the same time last year totaling $39,723.
Other Panola municipalities recorded sales tax funds received followed by the percentage of increase or decrease from the corresponding month last year as:  Courtland, $$1,606, -21; Crenshaw, $5,480, -12; Crowder, $1,884, +13 and Pope, $3,048, -5.