City retail sales fall 6.3 percent

Eupora saw sales tax returns collected on actual July sales fall $2,185 or about 6.3 percent when compared to the same month the previous year.

The city reported sales tax collections of $32,252 on actual July sales, a decrease from the $34,438 collected for the same month in 2008.

The state's sales collections have a three-month cycle. Tax is collected by the retailer one month; it is reported and paid to the state Tax Commission by the retailer the second month; and the diversion is paid to the cities by the Tax Commission the third month.

For example, a retailer reports its July sales tax to the state in August.

Since the state's fiscal year begins in July, year-to-date totals reflect collections beginning in June.

Year to date, Eupora's sales tax returns are down about 9.5 percent.

These are sales tax returns based on actual July 2009 retail sales in other local towns and villages, with 2008 figures in parenthesis:

¥ Maben: $5,030 ($5,752)

¥ Mantee: $2,121 ($1,970)

¥ Mathiston: $15,501 ($15,525)

¥ Walthall: $2,463 ($2,405)

A two-year comparison of gross retail sales shows a 7.41 percent decrease for Webster County comparing fiscal year 2008 to 2009 through August. Mississippi's cities and towns receive 18.5 percent of state sales tax revenue collected through purchases within their boundaries.