Kansas tax collections beat the estimate in December by $6 million.
Individual income taxes and sales tax receipts were higher than expected last month in Kansas. That helped outweigh drops in other areas like corporate income and cigarette taxes.
Acting Revenue Secretary Sam Williams says he hopes the sales tax jump is an indication that some sectors of the state economy are improving.
“Through December the state receipts are in line with revised projections. I am encouraged by that fact. I am hopeful that the sales tax increase year over year is an indication that purchasing power is returning to our agriculture and oil and gas sector,” says Williams.
Kansas officials lowered the revenue forecast last month after tax collections had frequently missed the mark. The extra revenue puts a small dent in the budget deficit for the current year, which now amounts to around $340 million.
KPR's Stephen Koranda has details: