HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania collected $3.9 billion in General Fund revenue for January, falling $51.3 million, or 1.3 percent, short of projections, according to the Department of Revenue. Year-to-date collections total $24.1 billion, which is $148.3 million, or 0.6 percent, below expectations. Despite this shortfall, Revenue Secretary Pat Browne emphasized that collections remain within an acceptable range of projections midway through the fiscal year.
Sales tax receipts for January reached $1.3 billion, slightly exceeding estimates by $1.9 million. To date, sales tax revenue has totaled $8.7 billion, up $21.7 million, or 0.3 percent, from projections. Meanwhile, personal income tax (PIT) revenue lagged behind forecasts, bringing in $2.0 billion in January—$51.7 million below estimate. Year-to-date PIT collections stand at $9.7 billion, which is $151.3 million, or 1.5 percent, below expectations.
Corporation tax revenue showed stronger performance, totaling $276.6 million in January—$15.6 million above projections. For the fiscal year, corporation tax collections amount to $2.8 billion, down $24.3 million, or 0.8 percent, from estimates.
Other revenue streams, including inheritance taxes, realty transfer taxes, and various excise taxes, produced mixed results. Notably, realty transfer tax revenue exceeded annual projections by 3.0 percent, hitting $338.0 million year-to-date. However, cigarette, malt beverage, liquor, and gaming taxes collectively contributed $114.9 million in January, falling $7.5 million short.
Non-tax revenues for the General Fund came in at $44.8 million for the month, slightly under projections, bringing the year-to-date total to $580.8 million, or 0.6 percent below expectations.
Separately, the Motor License Fund performed strongly, collecting $250.2 million in January—$20.1 million above estimate. The fund has garnered $1.8 billion so far this fiscal year, surpassing projections by 4.5 percent, supported by gas and diesel taxes along with other vehicle-related revenue streams.
Despite some variances across revenue categories, officials remain optimistic about the state’s financial outlook as collections hold steady near projections for the fiscal year.
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