Nevada taxable sales saw healthy increase in August
Spiking sales of cars and meals out helped drive strong gains in taxable retail sales statewide and in Clark County in August.
Businesses across Nevada sold $4.09 billion in tangible goods in August, the state Department of Taxation reported Tuesday. That was up 7.5 percent compared with August 2013’s $3.8 billion.
Clark County’s improvement was even more marked: Retailers moved $3.02 billion in goods, up 12.2 percent from $2.69 billion a year earlier.
August’s numbers follow a three-year trend of sizable increases in taxable sales.
The biggest local gainers included retailers of cars and car parts, up $43.2 million, or 13.1 percent, to $372.9 million, and bars and restaurants, up $71.8 million, or 9.7 percent, to $808.6 million.
Merchant wholesalers of big-ticket durable goods such as appliances and office equipment added nearly $20 million, or 12.6 percent, to their sales base, for a total of $169.3 million.
Other sectors that improved sales noticeably included furniture stores, suppliers of building materials and garden equipment, and retailers of clothes and accessories.
Gross revenue collections from sales and use taxes were $323.3 million, an 8.75 percent increase when compared with August 2013. The General Fund portion of sales and use taxes totaled $81.7 million, up 8.8 percent year over year.
The General Fund’s share fell $563,000, or 0.34 percent, below forecasts of the Economic Forum, a nonpartisan group that projects revenue for state budgets.
Sales and use taxes help fund schools and prisons, among other services.
Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @J_Robison1 on Twitter.
