CityofSantaBarbaraSource: City of Santa Barbara
Sales Tax Results for the city of Santa Barbara – Quarter Ended June 30, 2021
The City of Santa Barbara received $7.3 million in sales tax revenue during the quarter ended June 30, 2021, which is 49% above the same quarter last year. This increase is in part due to the reduced economic activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic which was at its most severe in the second quarter of last year. However, contributing factors of the large increase also include effects of inflation, continued growth in online sales, and the collection of deferred sales taxes (which were instituted by the Governor as an early COVID-19 relief measure for businesses).
The June quarter is the final quarter of the City’s fiscal year. Sales tax revenue has ended at $24.3 million, which is nearly $2.1 million above the budget of $22.2 million. Sales tax results for the September quarter—the first quarter of fiscal year 2022—will be available in November 2021.
For additional information on recent sales tax results, click here.
Transient Occupancy Tax Results for the City of Santa Barbara – Month Ended August 31, 2021
The City of Santa Barbara collected $3.4 million in transient occupancy taxes (TOT) for August 2021. TOT revenues in August 2021 were $1.4 million above August collections last year—which was significantly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and travel advisories. Compared to August 2019, August 2021 revenues were higher by 17%,–largely due to increased average daily rates, which are 33% higher than August 2019.
The local travel industry is now seeing increases in demand for rooms relative to recent months that is likely to continue throughout the summer and fall months as the State has lifted travel advisories and as access to vaccinations has become more widely available.
The City has collected $7.1 million through August, the second month of the City’s fiscal year. The City’s adopted TOT budget is $23.4 million for all funds, of which $19.5 million is budgeted in the General Fund.
The Transient Occupancy Tax table can be viewed here. The City’s TOT tax rate is 12%. 10% goes to the City’s General Fund and the remaining 2% goes to the Creeks/Clean Water Fund. The table has been revised to report total TOT revenues collected.
