DiNapoli: Local sales tax collections up more than 17% in November

Statewide local sales tax collections grew by 17.5% in November compared to the same month in 2020, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced. Overall, local collections totaled almost $1.6 billion, up $235 million from November of last year. Collections for the month were also notably robust when compared to prepandemic levels, up 9.2% (or $133 million) from November of 2019.

“As has been the case the past several months, November’s sales tax collections were greatly improved over last year,” DiNapoli said. “Although the bulk of holiday spending is expected to be reflected in December collections, November collections may have benefited from earlier shopping this year.”

New York City’s estimated collections totaled $696 million, an increase of 12.6% – or nearly $78 million – when compared to November of 2020. Nearly every county experienced significant year-over-year growth in collections for November.

Rockland County saw the largest increase at 51%, followed by Cayuga County (40%) and St. Lawrence County (32%).

During the last month of each calendar quarter, the state Department of Taxation and Finance reconciles quarterly distributions against what had been reported by sales tax vendors for the reporting quarter and adjusts payments to local jurisdictions in those months upward or downward accordingly. During the other months, including November, the payments are based on estimates. The next reconciliation will be reported in mid-January 2022 and will provide more information on the regional picture of collections for not only the fourth quarter (October through December), but for the entire calendar year of 2021.

√ Table: Monthly Local Sales Tax Collections by County and Region (for detailed monthly breakdown)