Georgia tax take up 1.8% in October as economy continues to improve
State tax collections were up again in October, continuing a trend that began over the summer as Georgia’s economy picked up.
Collections for October were up 1.8% over October 2019, about $35 million. For the first four months of fiscal 2021, which began July 1, they are up 5.1%, or $400 million.
That’s better than many lawmakers expected in June, when they passed a budget that cut more than $2 billion in spending — including $950 million in basic k-12 school funding.
In October, income tax collections were off, but the net take from sales taxes improved almost 10%. The state gets most of its revenue from sales and income taxes.
Alcoholic beverage tax collections were up 21.4%, continuing a trend that started with the COVID-19 pandemic. That may get a boost from the recent startup of home delivery of alcoholic beverages under a law legislators passed in June.
The hospitality industry has been hammered by the pandemic, and hotel-motel fees were off 24.1% in October. That’s actually an improvement over some months earlier this year.
About the Author
James Salzer has covered state government and politics in Georgia since 1990. He previously covered politics and government in Texas and Florida. He specializes in government finance, budgets, taxes, campaign finance, ethics and legislative history
