DATA: Income Tax Collection Trending Up

Income tax collection data paint a rosier picture for government revenue in Kent than it did a few years ago.

Taxes paid to the city from workers' income in Kent has gradually been on the rise since 2010.

And in April Kent recorded the highest amount of income tax receipts in the past 28 months: $1.2 million.

But that's not the best news.

Year-to-date receipts are up for the first quarter of 2012 compared with last year, as was the case with the first quarter of 2011 compared with the first quarter of 2010.

Through April 2012, the city had collected a total $3,991,794. That's an 8 percent increase over the same period in 2011, which had risen 3.4 percent over the first four months of 2010.

In short, city income tax receipts have been rising and are expected to continue to do so as the estimated 700 or more temporary construction jobs in Kent shift over to permanent jobs.

Here's how the income tax figures break down by month through 2010 (All information is according to the .):

Monthly Income Tax Receipts

Kent Budget and Finance Director Dave Coffee told members of recently that there is a carry-over effect year to year because taxes are collected for the previous year.

"That’s where we’re seeing that 2010 activity, finally we’re getting some of the uptick in 2011 and now again in 2012," Coffee said during council's June committee meetings. "So there is a trailing effect based on how the taxpayer actually files."

The uptick is due in large part to all the construction workers on various projects throughout the city.

Coffee said, in round numbers, 380 construction-related entities payed income tax to the city in 2011 for a collective tax base of about $10 million.

Kent City Manager Dave Ruller cautioned during that same meeting that the income tax revenue picture isn't all rosy.

"If we hadn’t lost up to $500,00 , we would be in a great position now," Ruller said. "The challenge … is the fact that yes, right now over four months we’re up $300,000 in our income tax collection, but that is working against a negative $500,000."