Parish collected less sales tax in 2015, down 4.7 pct. from 2014

For Evangeline Parish, the end of the year 2015 brought with it a devastating financial reality.
Overall, the parish collected $17,955,893.12 in taxes for 2015, and while this may seem like a substantial amount, the parish actually experienced a loss of 4.74 percent or a difference of $850,544.00 compared to 2014’s collections.
The reason why the parish has experienced this loss, according to Evangeline Parish Tax Administrator Michael Veillon is very “cut and dry.”
Vellion said, “The internet (people purchasing on-line) hurts the tax collections, as well as the fact that people in the oil field are losing their jobs.”
The month that according to Veillon is usually always a good month for the parish, is down the most. Veillon said, “We usually always do well in December, but this year the decline in taxes collected for December hurt the parish.”
December, in the past, has always promised a large amount of tax collections in Evangeline Parish because of the holidays. This year however, the month of giving didn’t give much back in terms of tax collections.
With a loss of 21.49 percent for 2015 compared to 2014, the difference between the two Decembers totalled out to $850,544.00.
All of the gift buying that takes place during the last month of the year usually helps boost tax collections. Unfortunately, the hit the parish has taken, especially for the month of December, Veillon believes comes from where people are doing their shopping.
Veillon said, “I spoke to a lady the other day who told me that she bought every one of her Christmas gifts online, and I know she is not the only person that does this. We all shop out of town some, but when we do this our parish does receive the taxes we pay.”
Veillon also believes that the lower tax collections for the year of 2015 could come from the fact that people in the oil field have been losing their jobs. Veillon said, “Look at the people losing their jobs in the oil field. They can’t spend money, because they aren’t making any. Then for the people who do still have their job; they are only shopping for things that are a necessity because they are afraid that they may eventually be out of work as well.”
Although the parish is down for the yearly total of tax collections in 2015, according to Veillon we are not the only parish who has suffered this year.
Veillon said, “We aren’t the only parish that is experiencing this. Nearly everyone is down across the state, and things will continue this way as long as people are out of work.”