(Austin) — Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said today the state collected $1.85 billion in sales tax revenue in January, up 5.2 percent compared to January 2007.

“State sales tax collections through the first five months of the fiscal year, September 2007 through January 2008, are up 6.8 percent compared to the same period last fiscal year,” Combs said. “While growth remains firm, it is slower than that of the past two years. This moderation is consistent with the slowing economy.”

Combs sent $640.8 million in local sales tax to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts, up 5.1 percent compared to sales tax distributions to local governments in February 2007.

January state sales tax collections and February’s local sales tax allocations primarily represent sales made in December, but also include earlier sales by businesses that report sales tax to the Comptroller on a quarterly or annual basis.

The Comptroller sent $434.3 million in sales tax to Texas cities, up 4.8 percent compared to February 2007 payments. Texas counties received February sales tax payments of $37.7 million, up 6 percent compared to last February.

The 123 special purpose taxing districts around the state received $21.5 million in sales tax, up 14.9 percent compared to February 2007. Ten local transit systems received $147.2 million in February sales tax payments, up 4.7 percent compared to a year ago.

For details of February sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.

The Comptroller’s next local sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, March 14.