Out of the $39.1 billion in total tax revenue collected by North Carolina in 2023, $28.4 million came from alcoholic beverages license taxes, representing a decrease from the previous year, when the total was $31.4 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC).
The State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey tracks five major tax categories and up to 25 subcategories, gathering data from all 50 state governments and their dependent agencies.
The Census Bureau notes that it defines tax classifications consistently across states, which may differ from how individual states categorize them.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, state and local governments collect a wide range of taxes to fund public programs and services. These revenues are typically allocated to areas such as transportation, education, and public safety. In 2024, state tax collections alone amounted to nearly $1.5 trillion nationwide, representing a significant part of overall government operations.
Below is a breakdown of how taxes were classified by subcategory and how much was collected.
| Type of Tax | 2023 amount | 2022 amount |
|---|---|---|
| Individual income taxes | $16,855,693,000 | $17,672,005,000 |
| General sales and gross receipts taxes | $11,907,791,000 | $11,039,816,000 |
| Selective sales and gross receipts taxes | $5,845,912,000 | $5,433,886,000 |
| Motor fuels sales taxes | $2,377,329,000 | $2,214,143,000 |
| Corporation net income taxes | $1,640,070,000 | $1,631,119,000 |
| Other selective sales and gross receipts taxes | $1,296,687,000 | $1,235,035,000 |
| Insurance premiums sales taxes | $1,169,639,000 | $1,003,553,000 |
| Motor vehicle license taxes | $1,012,396,000 | $987,546,000 |
| Corporations in general license taxes | $994,828,000 | $1,012,972,000 |
| Alcoholic beverages sales taxes | $591,322,000 | $561,333,000 |
| Occupation and businesses license taxes | $419,946,000 | $403,756,000 |
| Tobacco products sales taxes | $286,285,000 | $295,188,000 |
| Documentary and stock transfer taxes | $126,153,000 | $161,795,000 |
| Motor vehicle operators license taxes | $126,039,000 | $118,066,000 |
| Public utilities sales taxes | $124,650,000 | $124,633,000 |
| Other license taxes | $51,934,000 | $47,830,000 |
| Hunting and fishing license taxes | $42,721,000 | $43,796,000 |
| Alcoholic beverages license taxes | $28,362,000 | $31,434,000 |
| Public utilities license taxes | $21,086,000 | $18,969,000 |
| Severance taxes | $1,731,000 | $1,724,000 |
| Amusements license taxes | $184,000 | $100,000 |
| Estate and gift taxes | $9,000 | $213,000 |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). The source data can be found here.
