OKLAHOMA CITY – The latest disbursement of city sales tax collections indicates commerce in Lawton and the surrounding area is recovering from the crippling coronavirus shutdown.
For example, Lawton’s sales tax check this month from the Oklahoma Tax Commission was $1.15 million (almost 33%) higher than the allocation in June 2020, and Comanche County realized an increase of almost $115,000 (31%) in sales taxes.
Other significant sales tax increases in southwest Oklahoma included Altus, $333,047 (40.6%); Stephens County, $97,723 (37.7%); Medicine Park, $31,188 (95%); Indiahoma, $985 (43.5%); Fletcher, $26,873 (117%); Cyril, $8,811 (80%); Apache, $15,650 (56%); Cement, $3,290 (almost 48%); Roosevelt,$1,202 (37.7%); Olustee, $462 (60.5%); and Manitou, $562 (180%).
Two extreme examples of use tax collections occurred in southwest Oklahoma.
Olustee received $1,158 in use taxes this month – three times as much as the town received in June last year. In contrast, Manitou’s use tax disbursement this month was $1,026 – a mere fraction of the $23,328 in use taxes the community received in June 2020.
Use taxes are typically collected on out-of-state purchases from vendors who are not required to collect sales tax on their sales within a particular state.