Nevada sales tax numbers slip to half this year's average

April's taxable sales were up from the same month a year ago - the 45th straight month of year-over-year increases.

But the increase was just 4.3 percent - the second lowest rise of the fiscal year and less than half the average 10.2 percent Nevada has seen for the 10 months of the year.

Eight of Nevada's 17 counties showed a decrease in taxable sales for April, including most of western Nevada.

Sales in Carson City were down 3.8 percent, Douglas 6.2 percent and Lyon, which has been enjoying a huge boom for more than a year, 1.6 percent. Sales in Storey were off 11.5 percent and, in Churchill, down 1.2 percent.

For the 10 months of the fiscal year, however, every county in the state is up over the previous year except Esmeralda, which is down 2.6 percent.

Total sales for the month were $3.94 billion. Of that total, $2.95 billion was in Clark County and $556.2 million in Washoe. Total sales were up 4.9 percent in Clark and just under 1 percent in Washoe.

The April numbers follow a 4.1 percent increase in March.

In Carson City, the big difference was a 17.5 percent drop in the capital's biggest category - auto sales and gasoline. Total sales for April were $22.2 million compared to nearly $27 million in April 2005.

In Douglas, all three major categories, eating and drinking places, general merchandise and building materials, were down in April. Building materials sales fell 6.2 percent to $9 million, general merchandise by 16.2 percent to $6.6 million and eating-drinking places 7.5 percent to $11.6 million.

In Lyon, building material sales were off 20 percent to $5.6 million and auto dealers and gasoline sales down 39.1 percent from a year ago to $3.3 million.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.