The March distribution of sales tax collections by the Oklahoma Tax Commission primarily represents local tax receipts from January business. Companies that remit more than $2,500 monthly in sales tax receipts are required to file and pay electronically.

The monies they reported this period represent sales from January 16 ^th to January 31 ^st and estimated sales from February 1 ^st to February 15 ^th . The disbursement of $142,148,389 in sales tax

The disbursement of $142,148,389 in sales tax collections returned to the cities and towns reflected an increase of $2,447,180 from the $139.701,209 distributed to the cities and towns in March last year. The use tax disbursement to cities and towns was $19,358,909.

In county returns, the counties shared in a $23,594,539 sales tax disbursement and a $3,461,369 use tax disbursement.

Increased and decreases in our area were nearly matched as Ada, Calvin and Francis posted gains while Allen, Atwood, Gerty and Holdenville received less in 2020 than this time in 2019.

On the positive side, Ada received $1,296,184.54 up from $1,199,157.13; Calvin increased by $1,694.35, receiving $6,878.90 up from $5,184.55; and Francis posted a gain of $91.08, receiving $1,519.52 compared to $1,428.44 last year.

Unfortunately, Allen took a hit, losing $2,693.57 in revenue. The town received $14,548.17 this month compared to $17,241.74 in March of 2019.

Atwood dropped to $652.63 from last year’s $1,405.30; Gerty received only $242.336 compared to $505.45 in 2019; and Holdenville posted $214,537.01 down from $215,437.35.

County returns showed a substantial loss for Hughes but a gain for Pontotoc. Hughes County received $106,119.97 down from $263,683.31 at this same time last year. Pontotoc posted a minor gain, $371,736.33 up from $349,867.18.

Use Tax is an option that cities, towns and counties may use to increase revenue, collecting a tax from items purchased online.

For the area towns collecting these funds, only Calvin posted a gain; Ada, Allen and Holdenville, as well as both Hughes and Pontotoc Counties, went down in revenue.

Allen went from $1,905.55 last year to only $1,411.19 this year; Ada dropped to $87,994.64 from $120,675.24; and Holdenville went from $21,564.99 to $15,612.33. Hughes County took another big hit, going from $42,525.62 last year to only $10,754.99 this year. Pontotoc County’s loss was quite as large as they received $32,936.68 compared to $39,306.91 in 2019.

Calvin posted the only gain in the area towns, going to $1,374.72 this year, up from $1,016.71 last year.