BUENOS AIRES, March 4 (Reuters) - Argentina's tax revenue rose 16.2 percent in February from a year earlier, due largely to revenue inflows from social security contributions, the government said on Wednesday.
The tax agency AFIP said last month's tax collection totaled 22.78 billion pesos ($6.11 billion), a figure that came in above the median forecast of 22.03 billion pesos in a Reuters poll of seven analysts.
Social security contributions rose 58.4 percent, while income from consumer taxes rose 14 percent.
Argentina's tax revenue has been anchored by social security contributions after the government nationalized the country's private pension funds last year, helping to boost government income.
Yet tax revenue growth has slowed in recent months as consumer spending cools amid a sluggish world economy and Argentina's exports fall on lower global demand.
'Given the context, tax revenue in February was a success,' said Ricardo Echegaray, the head of AFIP, told reporters.
Income from export taxes fell 6 percent and import levies dropped 24 percent, AFIP said.
A year ago, the government's tax take totaled 19.60 billion pesos in February 2008. In January 2009, it was 24.11 billion.
A monthly central bank poll among economists, brokers and academics forecast February tax revenue at a median of 22.60 billion pesos.
($1=3.7275 Argentine pesos)
(Reporting by Damian Wroclavsky and Nicolas Misculin; Writing by Kevin Gray; Editing by Jan Paschal)
((kevin.gray@thomsonreuters.com; +5411-4510-2505; Reuters Messaging: kevin.gray.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: ARGENTINA ECONOMY/TAX (Xtra: To see a calendar of Argentine economic indicators please click on or type in ARECI02 on a quote page and press enter. For separate pages detailing Argentine analysts' economic forecasts, click on,, and) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The tax agency AFIP said last month's tax collection totaled 22.78 billion pesos ($6.11 billion), a figure that came in above the median forecast of 22.03 billion pesos in a Reuters poll of seven analysts.
Social security contributions rose 58.4 percent, while income from consumer taxes rose 14 percent.
Argentina's tax revenue has been anchored by social security contributions after the government nationalized the country's private pension funds last year, helping to boost government income.
Yet tax revenue growth has slowed in recent months as consumer spending cools amid a sluggish world economy and Argentina's exports fall on lower global demand.
'Given the context, tax revenue in February was a success,' said Ricardo Echegaray, the head of AFIP, told reporters.
Income from export taxes fell 6 percent and import levies dropped 24 percent, AFIP said.
A year ago, the government's tax take totaled 19.60 billion pesos in February 2008. In January 2009, it was 24.11 billion.
A monthly central bank poll among economists, brokers and academics forecast February tax revenue at a median of 22.60 billion pesos.
($1=3.7275 Argentine pesos)
(Reporting by Damian Wroclavsky and Nicolas Misculin; Writing by Kevin Gray; Editing by Jan Paschal)
((kevin.gray@thomsonreuters.com; +5411-4510-2505; Reuters Messaging: kevin.gray.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: ARGENTINA ECONOMY/TAX (Xtra: To see a calendar of Argentine economic indicators please click on or type in ARECI02 on a quote page and press enter. For separate pages detailing Argentine analysts' economic forecasts, click on,, and) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.