According to a report the PLCB released last month, liquor sales (and taxes) generated $2.91 billion in the 2020-21 fiscal year, a 13.7% increase from the previous year.
Rebound
The record sales and revenue reported by the PLCB are, in almost all comparisons, a rebound from the 2019-20 fiscal year, which saw state-run liquor sales slump statewide as the stores closed for a portion of the COVID-19 pandemic.According to PLCB data, 2020-21 fiscal year sales were $238.5 million (8.9%) higher than in the 2018-19 (pre-COVID) fiscal year total of $2.67 billion.
The record-setting total also led to a record net income of $264.9 million, the board reported, a 26.9% increase over the previous fiscal year.
Contributions
According to the report, contributions to state and local governments totaled $813.4 million over the year.In addition to the contributions to governments, contributions to the state’s General Fund, which bankrolls public safety initiatives, Pennsylvania public schools and health and human services programs, totaled $764.8 million.
The General Fund contributions include:
- $415.8 million in liquor tax
- $163.9 million in state sales tax
- $185.1 million in cash transfers
- $29.2 million to the Pennsylvania State Police for liquor control enforcement efforts
- $9.6 million in local sales taxes to Philadelphia and Allegheny counties
- $1.8 million in licensing fees returned to local municipalities
- $5.3 million to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
Cassie Miller is an associate editor at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, where this story first appeared.
