Local government sales tax collections in New York state totaled $5.5 billion in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 7.1%, or nearly $369 million, compared to the same three-month period last year, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“Sales tax collections were quite strong in the first quarter,” DiNapoli said. “New York City’s ongoing recovery from the pandemic, as well as high inflation, continues to bolster statewide numbers. For the rest of the state, collections growth has generally returned to the rates seen before the pandemic.”

DiNapoli’s report found:

• On a monthly basis, statewide sales tax collections increased by 9.2% in January and 14.1% in February, but the growth slowed to 0.3% in March.
• New York City’s collections totaled nearly $2.5 billion for the quarter, an increase of 11.3%, or $252 million, compared to the same period the previous year. This marks the eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in city collections.
• Collections for the counties and cities outside New York City, in total, grew by 3.3%, or $85 million, in the first quarter.
• Fifty out of 57 counties experienced year-over-year sales tax increases during the quarter, with some seeing double-digit growth. Schuyler County had the strongest growth at 11.7%, while Dutchess County experienced the steepest decline at 7.4%.
• Fourteen of the 18 cities outside of New York City that impose their own sales tax instead of receiving a portion of county collections also experienced growth in the period. Saratoga Springs led the way with 13.4% growth, while Auburn experienced the steepest drop at 4.8%.

Report
First Quarter Sales Taxes

Related Report
NYC Taxable Sales and Purchases: Resilient Amid Economic Uncertainty

Data
Regional/County-by-County Data

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