Harlan Kirgan
Sales tax collections were off to a strong start in St. Landry Parish with total parish revenue up 7 percent in January over January 2018’s collections.
The St. Landry Parish total in January was $7,019,121, according to statistics released by the St. Landry Parish School Board Sales Tax Division. That’s up $463,117 over the January 2018 collections.
The parish sales and use tax total includes collections for the parish government, School Board, solid waste, law enforcement, special tax districts and municipalities. The total does not include state collections.
From January to December, total parish sales tax collections were up 30.6 percent. December’s total was $5,373,575.
Total parish sales tax collections in 2018 was $68,841,515, up $2,973,612 over the 2017 total.
In Eunice, January sales tax revenue was $543,863, down 5 percent from the January 2018 total.
But sales tax revenue in January rose 16.4 percent from Eunice’s $467,100 December total.
In Opelousas, there was an 8.8 percent in January to $1,061,325 from the January 2018 total. Revenue jumped 48.3 percent from December’s $715,325.
The parish 2 percent Road District 1 tax that pays for the Smooth Ride Home program was $620,374 in January, up 9.3 percent from January 2018’s January total. The January collections were up 21.3 percent from December’s $511,400.
The local sales tax rates in Eunice are 2.2 percent city and 3.55 percent parish.
Local sales tax rates in unincorporated St. Landry Parish are 5.55 percent parish tax rates that includes the 2 percent Smooth Ride Home Program tax.
The sales tax numbers include a use tax, which is paid on items used, stored or consumed. The sales tax is collected on a transaction.