EBR sales tax revenue down 4.45%

East Baton Rouge Parish sales tax collections were down for the fourth consecutive month in July. Businesses across the parish collected nearly $12.2 million in sales taxes in July, down 4.45% from the $12.7 million collected in July 2008, according to figures from the city-parish revenue department. Vehicle sales taxes were down even further, coming in at nearly $931,000, almost 17% lower than the $1.1 million collected in July 2008. Sales outside the Baton Rouge city limits were up for the month, when compared with the year before. Outside the city limits, which includes shopping centers such as Perkins Rowe and the Mall of Louisiana, nearly $5.6 million was collected, 4% more than the nearly $5.4 million collected in July 2008. Sales tax collections were down by 11% inside the city limits, from $7.3 million in July 2008 to almost $6.6 million in July. Through the first seven months of the year, parish sales tax collections are nearly $88 million, 1.2% lower than the $89 million that came in through July 2008.