Andy sales tax revenue increases

Published 12:00 am Saturday, June 28, 2014

A hike in city sales taxes one year ago in Andalusia has led to a significant jump in taxes collected so far this year.

Beginning July 1, 2013, sales taxes inside the Andalusia city limits jumped from 2 percent to 3.5 percent, meaning a $10 purchase that would have cost $10.80 after tax in June of last year, totaled $10.95 after tax in July.

According to Andalusia City Clerk John Thompson, $588,364 was remitted in May for April sales taxes this year, a jump of $252,469 from the same period last year. Thompson said the year-to-date taxes collected are also up, with $4,725,221 collected in 2014, a jump of almost $2 million from taxes collected during the same period in 2013.

But, while Andalusia is seeing gains in sales taxes, county collections are down 3.79 percent from the same period last year. According to Assistant County Administrator Pam Steele, the county collected $682,787 in May for April taxes, a jump of more than $5,000; however, year-to-date taxes have dropped from $5,610,868 in 2013 to $5,397,947 this year.