Comptroller Susan Combs announced today the state collected $1.65 billion in sales tax revenue in December, down 11.6 percent compared to December 2009.

“Declining sales tax collections, beginning in February 2009, have now extended through December 2009,” Combs said.  “As has been seen the past several months, collections are down across most major sectors of the Texas economy, including oil and natural gas, construction, manufacturing and retail trade.  It is expected the double-digit declines in tax collections seen over the last half-year will first moderate with collections returning to growth during the first or second quarter of 2010.”

Combs sent cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts their first sales tax allocations of 2010 —  $405.2 million, down 11.8 percent compared to January 2009.

Combs sent January sales tax allocations of $274.4 million to Texas cities, down 11.4 percent compared to January 2009.  Texas counties received sales tax payments of $24.3 million, down 16.1 percent compared to last January.

In addition, $16.2 million went to 163 special purpose taxing districts around the state, down 11.5 percent compared to last January.  Ten local transit systems received $90.1 million in sales tax allocations, down 11.6 percent compared to a year ago.

December state sales tax collections and January allocations to local governments represent sales that occurred in November.

For details of January sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.

The Comptroller’s next sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, Feb. 12.

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