- Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Honorable Chairs and Ranking Minority Members of the Committees on Ways and Means:
Pursuant to Section 6 of Chapter 14 of the General Laws[1], the Department of Revenue (DOR) hereby submits its mid-month tax revenue report for the month of February 2026, the eighth month of fiscal year 2026. The attached table (XLSX) shows February 2026 month-to-date tax revenue collections through February 13, 2026, along with a comparison to the equivalent period in February 2025.
Revenue collections are uneven and usually weighted toward the month-end. The brief period covered in the mid-month report does not provide sufficient data for comparison to prior years. Therefore, mid-month figures should not be used to assess trends or project future revenues.
Context for February Revenues
February has historically been the lowest month for revenue, contributing less than 6% of annual collections. Neither individual nor business taxpayers are required to make estimated payments during the month. February is also the month in which refunds reach substantial levels.
Highlights
Total tax collections for the month-to-date period were $1.130 billion,$366 million or 48.0% more than the collections during the same period in February 2025. Mid-month February results show increases in withholding, non-withholding income tax, and sales & use tax, partially offset by decreases in corporate and business tax and “all other” tax.
- Income tax totaled $958 million, up $380 million or 65.8% versus the same period in February 2025.
- Sales & use tax totaled $113 million, up $12 million or 11.7% versus the same period in February 2025.
- Corporate & business tax totaled $10 million, down $23 million or 70.1% versus the same period in February 2025.
- All other taxes totaled $49 million, down $3 million or 6.5% versus the same period in February 2025.
Details
Total income taxof $958 million for mid-month February is comprised of the following:
- Withholding $1.097 billion, up $241 million versus the same period in February 2025;
- Estimated payments of $16 million, down $1 million versus the same period in February 2025;
- Returns/bills of $36 million, up $4 million versus the same period in February 2025; and
- Refunds of $191 million, down $138 million (favorable) versus the same period in February 2025.
Sales & use taxof $113 million is up $12 million versus the same period in February 2025. Typically, only a small proportion of expected regular sales and meals tax remittances is received by the mid-month date. The month-to-date sales and use tax of $113 million is comprised of the following:
- Regular sales tax of $61 million, up $25 million versus the same period in February 2025;
- Meals tax of $21 million, up $2 million versus the same period in February 2025; and
- Motor vehicles sales tax of $31 million, down $14 million versus the same period in February 2025.
Corporate & business tax of $10 million is down $23 million versus the same period in February 2025. The month-to-date decrease is primarily due to decreases in estimated and return payments, as well as an increase (unfavorable) in refunds.
All other taxes of $49 million, down $3 million versus the same period in February 2025, include a number of tax categories, such as motor fuels, cigarette, estate tax, room occupancy, and deeds.
If you have any questions concerning this report, please contact either me (snyderge@dor.state.ma.us) or Kazim P. Ozyurt, Director of the Office of Tax Analysis (ozyurtk@dor.state.ma.us).
Sincerely,
Geoffrey E. Snyder
Commissioner
Footnotes
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