News

Bottineau County ranked first in state’s sales tax

By Matthew Semisch

10/28/2014

According to Jen Raab, public information office for the North Dakota Office of the State Tax Commissioner, Bottineau County ranked first in all counties in the state with the largest growth of sales tax in the second quarter of 2014 when compared to 2013.  

“Bottineau County increased 82.3 percent,” Raab said. “The statewide average growth was 11.4 percent”

Although Bottineau County had the largest growth in sales tax of all counties, it did not rank high in taxable sales and purchases.
“Generally, the total amount of taxable sales reported within a city or county falls somewhat in line with the population. Fargo, Bismarck, Minot and Grand Forks, and their corresponding counties, generally reported the largest amount of taxable sales and purchases,” Raab said.

“An exception to this generalization is Williston and Williams County. For the past few years of the oil boom, Williston and Williams County have overtaken Fargo and Cass County as the region with the greatest amount of taxable sales and purchases. This is directly related to the boom itself.”

Raab added that the growth in the sales tax was a large percentage, but when it came to the dollar amount it was a small amount of money.

“The county’s second quarter growth was about $16 million, compared, for example, to Williams County’s growth, which was $138 million for that quarter,” Raab said. “Bottineau County’s growth occurred outside the city of Bottineau, which reported a modest growth of 6 percent, and may also have been attributed to the oil industry.”

Ryan Rauschenberger, state tax commissioner for the state of North Dakota, stated that when it came to the 50 largest cities in the state, the following cities had the highest percentage for sales tax in its second quarter.

● Stanley – Increase of 35.06 percent
● Watford City - Increase of 30 percent
● Cavalier - Increase of 29.07 percent
● Hettinger - Increase of 21.34 percent
● Dickinson - Increase of 18.58 percent

When it came to counties with the highest percent increase in sales tax for the second quarter, the top five were as followers.

● Bottineau County - Increase of 82.31 percent
● Dunn County - Increase of 37.07 percent
● McKenzie County - Increase of 30.07 percent
● Adams County - Increase of 29.99 percent
● Renville County - Increase of 21.03 percent

“The second quarter report shows a very strong, yet sustainable growth rate for North Dakota’s economy. We haven’t seen this large of an increase in nearly two years,” Rauschenberger said.

“Seeing an increase in retail trade is generally a good sign of consumer confidence, and several of the other industry increases are linked to the ongoing oil boom and related commerce that we are experiencing in the state."