DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND REGULATION                       PHONE: (605) 773-3311

445 EAST CAPITOL AVENUE                                                           FAX: (605) 773-5129

PIERRE, SD 57501-3185

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Friday, August 19, 2005                                                 Contact Jane Page, Assistant Director

Business Tax Division

(605) 773-3311

Vendor Sales Tax Revenue for 2005 Sturgis Rally

(PIERRE, SD) – According to the latest figures available from the Department of Revenue and Regulation, sales and tourism tax revenues from temporary vendors for this year's 2005 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally were $1,013,081.41 in the Northern Hills (which includes Sturgis and all other communities within Meade and Lawrence Counties).  The revenue is down $178,998.69 from last year's Rally total of $1,192,017.10.

Tax revenues from the event will continue to be collected over the next few months, even though the last official day was August 15, 2005.

Of the $1,013,081 collected so far this year, $596,246 was state sales tax, $257,591 was municipal sales tax, $11,120 was municipal gross receipts tax, and $148,060 was state tourism tax revenue. Official reports show more vendors worked the rally this year: 1,200 vendors displayed and sold products at the 2005 Rally as compared to 1,131 in 2004 and 1,084 in 2003. Gross vendor sales in the Northern Hills area for the 2005 Rally totaled $14,906,153.71, down $2,460,933.17 from last year's gross sales of $17,367,086.88.

The Southern Hills (including Rapid City, Custer, Hill City, Keystone and Pennington County) posted vendor sales tax revenues totaling $138,777.80. Of that amount, $79,202 was state sales tax, $38,797 was municipal sales tax, $976 was municipal gross receipts tax, and $19,800.73 was state tourism tax. Gross vendor sales from the 2005 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally totaled $1,980,072.61 in the Southern Hills, down $92,920 from 2004 gross sales of $2,072,993.32; many Southern Hills vendors have yet to report their sales from the event. The number of vendors in the Southern Hills was up in 2005, with 193 vendors as compared to 178 last year. 

Tax rates for the Rally vary depending on the type of merchandise sold and the location of the concessions.

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