Sales taxes continue double-digit rise

Nevada's taxable sales continued their double-digit rise in November as merchants reported a total of $3.35 billion.

That is 15.9 percent more than the same month of 2003 and puts total taxable sales for the first five months of the fiscal year to 14.9 percent more than the same period of 2003.

Carson City reported a 12.4 percent increase to $75.8 million in sales for the month and Douglas a 10.6 percent increase to $59.8 million.

Only three counties - Eureka, Mineral and Storey - were down compared to November 2003.

Lyon reported a 23.7 percent increase to more than $28.7 million and Churchill a 17.5 percent jump to $20.5 million.

But the numbers overall were driven by a 16.3 percent increase in Clark County's taxable sales - $2.49 billion of the total. Washoe County also did well with $507.3 million in sales for the month - a 12.6 percent increase.

Storey County's numbers were down 1.7 percent in November. But that is the first negative month the county has had this fiscal year. Overall, the county is up 85.6 percent for the past five months.

Likewise, Eureka County was down, although only four-tenths of a percent. For the year, the county is up 2.8 percent.

Mineral County alone among Nevada's 17 counties is not sharing in this year's economic boom. The county's total sales were down 4.6 percent in November, but that's a relatively good month for Mineral - the county is down 7.8 percent for the past five months.

Taxable sales are up more than $2 billion for the first five months of this fiscal year to a total of $17.46 billion worth of sales by more than 82,000 businesses in the state.

And the booming sales has significantly improved sales and use tax collections. Sales tax collections are up 18.69 percent for the fiscal year so far to a total of $1.3 billion.

That translates to $20 million more revenue to the state General Fund than was projected by the Economic Forum.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.

TAXABLE SALES FOR 2003 & 2004

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