Home » General Fund receipts up $85M in January 2020

General Fund receipts up $85M in January 2020

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Office of State Budget Director reported today that January’s General Fund receipts grew 9.2% compared to January of last year, an increase of $85.1 million. Receipts were boosted by the largest ever monthly collection of sales and use tax receipts. Receipts have grown 3.6% for the first seven months of fiscal year 2020 (FY20).

The official revenue estimate calls for 1.6% growth in revenues over FY19 totals. Collections for the remainder of the year can fall 1.1% and still meet the official estimate.

State Budget Director John Hicks noted that General Fund sales tax receipts have now completed the holiday cycle. “As noted in the December monthly report, we expected a bump in January sales tax collections. A more accurate picture of the holiday season is portrayed by combining receipts from November, December, and January. The three-month totals show that sales tax receipts increased 6.0%, individual income tax receipts increased by 4.1%, and total General Fund collections increased by 3.7%. These growth rates indicate an acceleration in the pace of collections versus the 1.1% growth rate in the first quarter of the fiscal year, suggesting modest growth in the underlying economy. We will continue to monitor the pattern of revenues, but at the current time we are squarely on pace to meet the official estimates rendered by the Consensus Forecasting Group in December.”

Among the major accounts:

  • Individual income tax collections grew 13% for the month on the strength of declarations and withholding receipts. Withholding receipts increased by 4.1% over the prior three months. Revenues have grown 3.5% through the first seven months of FY20.
  • Sales and use tax receipts posted their largest monthly total in history, growing 11.2%. Collections were aided by a later than normal holiday shopping season which pushed a portion of holiday revenues from December into January. Revenues have grown 7.1% year-to date.
  • Corporation income tax receipts fell $11.5 million for the month and are down 20.1% in the first seven months of the fiscal year. January revenues were adversely affected by a large refund for the second consecutive month.
  • Property tax collections rose 8.8% in January and have increased 1.7% year-to-date.
  • Cigarette tax receipts decreased 15.7% for the month and have fallen 0.9% year-to-date.
  • Coal severance tax receipts fell 28.6% in January. Collections are down 19.9% through the first seven months of the fiscal year.

Road Fund receipts increased 4.2% in January to $131.6 million on the continued strength of motor vehicle usage tax revenue. Year-to-date collections have increased 1.5%. The official Road Fund revenue estimate calls for revenues to grow 0.4% for the fiscal year. Based on year-to-date tax collections, revenues can decline 1% for the remainder of the fiscal year and still hit the official forecast.

Among the accounts, motor fuels collections rose 0.1%. Motor vehicle usage revenue grew 10.4%, and license and privilege receipts rose 4.9%.