Taxable sales up 9.4 percent in January

Thursday, March 24, 2005 | 11:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Taxable sales, one indicator of economic vitality, rose 9.4 percent in Nevada in January -- ending the state's string of 12 consecutive months of double-digit increases.

The state Department of Taxation reported today taxable sales reached 3.1 billion.

While the state increase fell below the double-digit mark, sales by Clark County businesses rose 10.8 percent, the 13th straight month of double digit increases in the state's most dynamic county.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said, "Our sales tax activity was quite remarkable when considering the severe weather that hit our state in January."

"This performance while major highways into our state were clogged by snow storms is yet another indicator of how strong Nevada's economy is and how our state continues to make strides in diversifying itself."

The weather definitely took a toll on the restaurant and bar business. The department reported eating and drinking businesses had $617 million statewide in taxable sales, up only 2.5 percent.

The governor noted that statewide sales-tax collections for the jumped 17.4 percent during the first seven months of this fiscal year. In the month of January sales-tax collections increased by 7.1 percent to $65 million.

The department said statewide sales of durable goods in wholesale trade rose 12.1 percent; building materials were up 7.2 percent; general merchandise was up 10.3 percent and auto sales increased 7.7 percent.

Sales in Clark County bars and restaurants rose 3.6 percent to $524.2 million while car sales jumped 9.1 percent to $340.2 million. But the car sales number broke a string of 13 straight months of double-digit increases. Durable goods in wholesale trade reached $145.4 million, up 16 percent in Clark County.

For the ninth straight month the sale of building materials increased by double digits, up 12.7 percent to $152.2 million; general merchandise sales of $180.8 million were up 12.6 percent.

Food stores reported $81.9 million in taxable sales, an increase of 9.3 percent.

The department said Clark County clothing-store sales increased by 11.1 percent to $117.5 million and home furniture sales were up 10.6 percent to $155.4 million, the 12th straight month of increases in this category.

Merchants in Washoe County reported $447.6 million in sales, up 1.4 percent; Douglas County sales rose 8 percent to $57.6 million; Elko County was up 13.2 percent to $58.4 million and Carson City rose 1.4 percent to $67 million.

The department said statewide collections from the cigarette tax in January reached $10 million, up 14.2 percent; liquor tax receipts were down 4.5 percent from a year ago to $2.3 million and the live entertainment tax yielded $758,912, up 26.8 percent.