St. Landry Parish sales tax collections dropped steeply from April to May, but year-to-date collections resisted any sharp impact from the shutdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The May figures primarily reflect sales in April.
St. Landry Parish’s total year-to-date through May collections were $30,704,161, up 4.9% from the $29,273,506 collected through May 2019.
The May sales tax report from the St. Landry Parish sales tax office is the first to show a full month of the stay-at-home order that closed many businesses and government activities due to the coronavirus.
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 doesn’t include state sales taxes.
There are 18 parish entities collecting sales taxes in St. Landry Parish.
St. Landry Parish sales tax collections from April to May dropped 13.7%. April’s sales tax revenue in the parish was $6,520,588 and May collections were $5,630,178, a $890,410 difference.
In a May to May 2019 comparison, the difference was $33,125 for a 0.6% drop.
In Eunice, sales tax collections through May totaled $2,561,234, up $287,326 or 12.6% over the same period in 2019.
In May, Eunice sales tax collections were $502,295, down $36,863 or 6.8% from April.
The Eunice May collections were up $84,443 or 20.2% from May 2019.
In Opelousas, collections through May were $4,220,943, up $70,201 or 1.7% from the same period in 2019. The May collections of $784,470 were down $140,537 or 15% from April. The May collections were up $17,057 or 2.2% from May 2019.
In Road District 1, which collections a 2% sales tax in unincorporated St. Landry Parish that funds the Smooth Ride Home Program, collections through May were $2,941,192, up $196,538 or 7.2% from the same period in 2019. The May collections of $508,845 were down $64,164 or 11% from April. The May collection were also down $78,379 or 13.3% from the May 2019 collections.
The local sales tax rates in Eunice are 2.45% city and 3.55% parish.
Local sales tax rates in unincorporated St. Landry Parish are 5.55% parish tax rates that includes the 2% 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.