ALBANY, N.Y. – New York sales tax collections dropped a little more than 24% in April compared to last year, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
The state collected just over $1 billion for the month. This left cities and local governments down $327 million compared to last year.
DiNapoli says the impact of the coronavirus pandemic started to appear in the tax data from March, showing a 3.7% decrease in sales tax revenue statewide.
“The coronavirus has hurt household finances, and the April sales tax figures show how deep it is cutting into municipal finances,” DiNapoli said. “Sales tax revenues are vital for the counties and cities that are on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the first responders and provide a safety net of services for New Yorkers. The federal government needs to provide assistance to those hit hard by this virus or the budget cuts could be severe in some communities.”
New York City experienced a 23.1 percent decline, amounting to $141.8 million in lost revenues for the month of April.
The least severe decline in sales tax collections occurred in the Mid-Hudson Region, which was down 21.5%. The Capital District had the most severe decline with 28.8%.
Outside of New York City, the state’s 57 counties had a decrease in collections of $159.5 million compared to April 2019.
