Cortland County sales tax in January up from last year (Table Included)

(Photo via Unsplash).

Cortland County collected about $3.3 million in sales tax in January, signifying an 11 percent increment from last January, according to a recent report from the New York State Office of the State Comptroller (OSC).

In Jan. 2022, the county collected about $2.9 million. Statewide, January local sales tax collections were up by 9.2 percent from last January. The OSC’s report noted local collections totaled $1.89 billion in January, up $159 million compared to the same time last year.

“As we head into a new year, local sales tax growth remains quite strong,” NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement. “Consumer spending and a strong labor market have buoyed sales tax growth even as prices remain elevated. Local governments should budget cautiously as this growth may level off sooner than they expect.”

Monthly sales tax distributions made to counties and tax-imposing cities are based on estimates by the State Department of Taxation and Finance. In the third month of each calendar year quarter, these distributions are adjusted upward or downward, so that the quarter as a whole reflects reported sales by vendors. The next quarterly numbers (for January to March) will be available in April.

Legislators and county officials discussed the influx of sales tax at a recent Finance and Administration Committee meeting. 

“New vehicle sales have increased,” said County Administrator Rob Corpora, regarding the increase. “You are actually seeing the cars on the lot. You don’t have to preorder them.”

The county takes in $1.5 million for county purposes from the yearly pile of funds, with the remaining balances being distributed among the county, the city of Cortland, and the various municipalities that make up the county.

In the last quarter of 2022, legislators said, the county garnered $10 million in sales tax. For the entire year, the county generated $39.1 million in sales tax, with $36.9 million of that being distributed to municipalities.

Below is a table of the sales tax distribution for 2022: