Watertown Sales Tax Collections Climb in 2026, Led by Double-Digit BBB Growth
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Watertown Sales Tax Collections Climb in 2026, Led by Double-Digit BBB Growth

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Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Recent data reveals a strong start for local sales tax collections in 2026, with the 1st Penny General, 2nd Penny Capital, and BBB sales taxes all posting year-to-date (Y-T-D) increases through April.


1st and 2nd Penny Sales Tax Performance

Through the first four months of 2026, the 1st Penny General (1%) sales tax accumulated $3,511,510 Y-T-D, representing a 4.48% increase over the $3,361,082 collected during the same period in 2025. The 2nd Penny Capital (1%) sales tax closely mirrored this growth, reaching $3,511,509 Y-T-D, which also constitutes a 4.48% increase from 2025.


A monthly breakdown of the 1st Penny General tax reveals consistent positive trends:

·         January: $843,562 collected, a 5.09% increase from 2025.

·         February: $804,349 collected, a 4.71% increase from 2025.

·         March: $953,760 collected, marking the highest volume of the year so far and a 7.29% jump from March 2025.

·         April: $909,839 collected, showing a modest 0.96% increase compared to the previous year.

BBB Sales Tax Sees Double-Digit Y-T-D Growth

The BBB Sales Tax has experienced the most noteworthy percentage growth to start the year. Y-T-D collections total $437,943 through April, a 10.94% increase over the $394,742 collected by this time last year.

While February experienced a minor dip of 4.28% ($92,249 collected compared to $96,375 in 2025), the surrounding months demonstrated robust double-digit growth:


·         January: Up 13.72% with $100,820 collected.

·         March: Up 17.33% with $124,916 collected.

·         April: Up 16.18% with $119,958 collected.


Long-Term Rolling Averages Confirm Economic Momentum

Zooming out to broader timeframes, the data shows sustained economic momentum over the last year.


Looking at the most recent 12-month period, the 1st Penny General tax generated $11,341,660, a solid 6.43% increase over the prior 12-month period’s $10,656,133. The BBB sales tax brought in $1,386,370 during that same 12-month span, marking a 5.43% increase over the prior period.


Shorter-term rolling data reflects a similar trajectory. Over the most recent 6-month period, the 1st Penny General tax generated $5,485,092—a 4.82% increase over the same 6-month prior period—while the BBB tax increased by 8.15% to reach $649,079.

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