CHEYENNE – Wyoming's treasury is bulging with receipts from all sources, which have generally exceeded forecasts. Year-to-date receipts to the State's General Fund have now reached $1.09 billion, which is 97.4 percent of the forecasted total. The total exceeds the estimated year-to-date amount of $928.2 million by $165.4 million, according to Senior Economist Jim Robinson at the Economic Analysis Division in Cheyenne.

Sales and Use taxes received in May, representing sales made in March, amounted to $42.4 million. So far, the state has collected $401.0 million in sales taxes, representing $23.5 million more than the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group had forecast. Robinson noted that sales and use taxes are "on track to finish the fiscal year (June 30) by about $25 million."

Sales and use taxes currently account for nearly 37 percent of General Fund receipts while severance taxes paid on minerals are generating about 17 percent of the General Fund's revenues. The report notes that severance taxes have now reached $187 million for the fiscal year.  Higher than predicted natural gas, crude oil and coal prices have all contributed to severance tax receipt numbers exceeding the forecasts.

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