On January 3, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced that state sales tax revenue totaled $2.75 billion in December, 12.3 percent more than in December 2016. Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in December 2017 was up 10.2 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Sales tax revenue is the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 58 percent of all tax collections. The following also contributed to December sales tax revenue:
- Motor vehicle sales and rental taxes — $414.3 million, up 16.1 percent from December 2016 (vehicle purchases to replace cars damaged by Hurricane Harvey continued to boost those tax collections);
- Motor fuel taxes — $303.7 million, up 4.9 percent from December 2016; and
- Oil and natural gas production taxes — $396.4 million, up 73.4 percent from December 2016.
