The Sconi

In Wisconsin, the state's five percent sales tax has shown a decrease in revenue for January, March, and May of 2024 compared to the same months in 2023, as reported by the Department of Revenue. Additionally, county sales tax revenue has also declined during the first half of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023.

While most counties experienced significant growth in sales tax revenue from 2022 to 2023, this growth has slowed down in early 2024. An exception is seen in Northwest Wisconsin counties where strong growth continues.

The retail sector remains a major contributor to sales tax revenue, accounting for $7.22 billion or 48 percent of total receipts in 2023.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum suggests that slower growth may be partially due to lower inflation but warns that "revenues in the coming months will be critical to determining estimates in future budgets, which in turn will impact decisions on both spending and other forms of taxation in 2025. It is still too early for great concern, but sales tax revenue numbers over the summer will be closely watched."