Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported Monday that state sales tax revenue totaled $3.56 billion in December, 24.4 percent more than in December 2020.
Year-over-year increases for most tax revenues continue to be affected by base effects: year-ago revenue collections to which this year’s collections are compared were suppressed by the pandemic. Compared to December 2019, sales tax collections were up 18.1 percent.
“December state sales tax collections continued the exceptional growth of recent months, reaching another new monthly high with receipts from all major economic sectors surging above year-ago levels,” Hegar said. “Propelled by vigorous business and consumer spending, receipts from most major sectors were well above pre-pandemic levels.
“Double-digit increases in receipts from sectors fueled by business spending were led by oil and gas mining, manufacturing, wholesale trade and construction, with receipts from only the oil and gas mining and rental and leasing sectors remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
“With Christmas shopping jumpstarted by the early start of holiday promotional pricing weeks ahead of Black Friday, and despite supply chain clogs and household budgets pressured by rising prices for food and gasoline, consumer spending drove double-digit increases in receipts from retail trade.
